Rep. Pettersen Statement on Republicans’ Ongoing DHS Shutdown

Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) released the following statement after House Republican Leadership refused to allow a vote on Senate-passed legislation to fund the majority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - including Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The legislation excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

For weeks, Democrats have called for Republicans to fund the critical agencies and offices under DHS that serve the American people as tens of thousands of TSA workers were forced to work without pay. The prolonged partial government shutdown led to staffing shortages and historic airport delays nationwide only expected to get worse as the impasse continues.

"For more than 40 days, Republicans and Donald Trump have forced hardworking federal employees - including TSA officers who are already understaffed and overworked - to work around the clock without receiving a paycheck. Then, once Trump was no longer standing in their way, Republicans in the Senate did the right thing and worked with Democrats to pass legislation to pay our TSA agents, FEMA, and members of the Coast Guard.

"Let's be clear: House Republicans are holding our federal employees hostage by refusing to move forward with this bipartisan legislation. This dysfunction means more mayhem at our airports and more suffering for the American people.

"There is no excuse for this constant chaos. This is not how our government is supposed to work, and it only undermines trust both here at home and abroad. Our country is completely and utterly exhausted by their incompetence."

Rep. Pettersen consistently called for legislation to fund all agencies and offices - including TSA and FEMA - within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) except for ICE and CBP. Additionally, she signed a discharge petition to force a vote on this legislation after House Republican Leadership refused to move the bill forward.

Pettersen has also consistently voted against Donald Trump's anti-immigrant agenda, including opposing over $75 billion in funding for immigration enforcement in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." She also supports legislation to require DHS and ICE officers to clearly identify themselves during enforcement actions, legislation that would reinstate protections that bar ICE from conducting immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, including churches, schools, hospitals, and non-immigration courts, and has demanded accountability from DHS.