GOP Blames Democrats for DHS Shutdown, Cites Tragic Murder

GOP Leaders Criticize Democrats Over DHS Funding Standoff

House Republican leaders are strongly criticizing Democrats, accusing them of intentionally causing a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They argue this shutdown prioritizes illegal immigrants over American citizens and law enforcement. The leaders made these remarks amid ongoing budget negotiations, highlighting the severe consequences they believe stem from the Democrats’ stance.

Tragic Murder Fuels Blame Game

At the heart of the Republican argument is the recent murder of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman. She was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant who had been arrested and released multiple times by the Biden administration. Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI) shared the heartbreaking story, stating, “All because Democrats flooded our country with violent illegal criminals like the Venezuelan who murdered Sheridan.” She emphasized that the victim’s parents will “never see her graduate and walk across the stage,” a loss she believes was preventable.

“As a mother, it absolutely infuriates me because Democrats are refusing to put my children, our children, American children, over these violent, illegal criminals. That’s not hypothesis. That is fact,” McClain stated passionately.

Accusations of Prioritizing Criminals

Republican leaders repeatedly accused Democrats of siding with criminals over law-abiding citizens. “We stand with law enforcement. We stand with the victims. We don’t stand with the with the criminals,” said Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), who serves as Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. He expressed gratitude to DHS employees, noting, “Thank you for showing up to work every single day. Thank you for what you do for our nation. Thank you for showing up in spite of not getting paid right now.”

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) echoed these sentiments, stating, “Democrats want to return America to the days of the Biden border crisis, but that’s not going to happen.” He added, “This week, the House is going to vote once again to fund all of DHS. We will vote to end this shutdown, pay the frontline heroes of Border Patrol, TSA, and the Coast Guard, and put the security of our nation first. But Democrats will continue to obstruct.”

Impact on DHS Workers and National Security

The shutdown has left many DHS employees working without pay. Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Majority Leader, highlighted the financial strain on these workers. “TSA workers that many of them living paycheck to paycheck. They have gone 49% of this fiscal year without a paycheck,” he reported. Scalise stressed the hardship this causes for families trying to meet basic needs like food and rent.

Beyond the financial impact on workers, Republicans argue the shutdown jeopardizes national security. They pointed to recent terrorist attacks on American soil as evidence of increased threats. “We’ve had four terrorist attacks on our home soil just in the last month,” Scalise stated, linking these events to the Democrats’ alleged obstruction of homeland security funding.

Republicans Offer Funding Solutions

Republicans contend they have repeatedly passed legislation to fund DHS, only for Democrats to reject it. “Tomorrow will mark the eighth time that we will have a vote in Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” Scalise announced. He criticized Democrats for voting against funding bills, saying, “Democrats are say, ‘Oh, we want to fund TSA.’ Except they all keep voting against the funding for TSA.”

Representative Ciscomani mentioned the “Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act,” a bill he expects to be considered, which aims to ensure DHS personnel are paid while broader negotiations continue. He emphasized that the bill they are voting on is the same one Democrats had previously negotiated and agreed to, accusing them of changing their stance for political reasons.

Call for Bipartisan Cooperation and President’s Involvement

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) described the situation as a “contrast for America,” pitting “common sense and crazy.” He lamented that the current Democrat party has “crazy policies and now they have deadly very tragic consequences.” Johnson expressed frustration that Democrats are holding the government hostage to push for policies like open borders and protecting undocumented immigrants.

When asked if President Biden could resolve the shutdown, Johnson suggested the President has been involved but seemed skeptical about a deal emerging. He stated, “He wants Congress to do its dang job. We have done it. The Republicans have, but the Democrats are refusing to go along on that even though just a couple of several weeks ago they were in favor of it.” He believes Democrats are playing political games because they find it disadvantageous at this moment.

Looking Ahead

Republicans plan to hold another vote this week to fund the Department of Homeland Security, urging Democrats to pass the measure. They hope this vote will clearly show the public who is responsible for the ongoing shutdown and its consequences. The party is committed to continuing to fight for border security and adequate funding for law enforcement, emphasizing their commitment to putting American citizens first.

Source: House GOP leadership remarks amid DHS shutdown (YouTube)