Sen. Van Hollen says Democrats are ‘not holding up’ DHS funding
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen clarified on Sunday that his party is not obstructing funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) despite House Republicans failing to bring a vote on the Senate-approved bill to finance most of the department.
“We’re not withholding all the money for all of the Department of Homeland Security,” Van Hollen emphasized during an interview with ABC News’ “This Week.” “That’s simply untrue. We have consistently stated that we should fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).”
Over a month ago, Democrats blocked funding for DHS, demanding reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. The ongoing shutdown has resulted in Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers missing paychecks and calling in sick, leading to extensive delays at major airports across the country.
In response to the crisis, Democrats have proposed a bill to allocate funding for components of DHS such as TSA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while excluding funding for ICE until reforms are implemented. The Senate unanimously passed this proposal early Friday morning, but House Republicans opted to pass a bill to fully fund DHS instead.
“You had a bipartisan bill, supported by both Republicans and Democrats, that passed in the Senate to immediately fully fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard while discussions on ICE reforms continue. However, the Republican House speaker declined to bring the bill to a vote and adjourned,” Van Hollen explained.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise defended the House’s decision, asserting that some senators regretted their vote on the bill passed in the early hours of the morning but did not disclose their identities.
“We carefully reviewed their bill, and several senators have expressed regrets over their actions at 3 am,” Scalise stated. “One of our main concerns is that it defunds over 25% of the baseline operations of DHS at a time when the threat level is heightened.”
When questioned by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl about the reforms sought by Democrats and the Trump administration’s willingness to consider them, Van Hollen expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed changes.
“They were not willing to make substantial reforms, in my opinion,” Van Hollen remarked. “We are advocating for an independent, trustworthy review. We do not believe that the agency, which labeled Renee Good and Alex Pretti as domestic terrorists, can conduct a credible and impartial investigation. Would you consider that credible? They refused to comply with that request.”
In conclusion, the funding impasse for DHS remains unresolved as Democrats and Republicans continue to clash over ICE reforms and the allocation of resources within the department. The ongoing standoff underscores the challenges faced by lawmakers in reaching a bipartisan agreement on critical national security issues.
