Cassidy Calls on Senate Democrats to Stop Inflicting Pain, End the DHS Shutdown

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor, calling on Senate Democrats to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

"At some point, [Senate Democrats] have to be willing to make an agreement," said Dr. Cassidy.

"You should consider the pain that you are exacting upon fellow Americans, upon people who are not getting paid for six weeks even though they have bills to pay," said Dr. Cassidy.

Cassidy's remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Mr. President,

Someone asked me today, since Senate Democrats keep moving the goalpost on DHS funding, what's the level of frustration amongst Republicans?

You know what I said?

"Ask the American people how frustrated they are!"

Senate Democrats are hurting Americans for their own gain.

The lines at the airport get longer.

Just look at the people lined up at the airport in New Orleans.

If you're one of the people waiting in line at the airport, you should call up a Senate Democrat and ask them to end this shutdown.

The rate of call-outs from TSA staff exceeded 40 percent over the weekend.

They're calling out because they're driving an Uber or Lyft to pay the bills.

Iran gives us more reasons to guard our borders and coasts.

Yet Democrats say no every time.

By the way, we HAVE a solution-a solution that Democrats initially agreed to, first when they negotiated the bill, and then once more!

And now, they've moved the goalpost again.

Clearly, they care more about appeasing their left-wing base than they do about solving this problem for the American people.

It is greedy, it is dangerous, and it is totally un-American.

They are intentionally inflicting pain on the people in this country who are just trying to make a living and do the right thing.

When we, Republicans, the White House, try meeting Senate Democrats halfway-even MORE than halfway-they still won't budge!

And the American people suffer the consequences.

The TSA agent I spoke to at Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans-he is desperate for his paycheck.

Troops and officers trying to keep our country safe and prevent Iranian cyber-attacks-they are stretched thin.

Folks traveling, trying to get back home or to a wedding or a funeral-they can't!

They're showing up five hours early for a flight, just to miss it by ten minutes because the security line is so backed up.

By the way, DHS includes FEMA-pretty important for Louisiana!

We don't know when the next hurricane could hit.

But we know that Hurricane Season starts 10 weeks from now.

The funds have GOT to be in place in case the worst happens.

If it does, if a storm hits our state and homes flood, FEMA won't be able to help.

Senate Democrats know this. And if they wanted to fix it, they would.

So when you start to wonder, "I wonder how frustrated politicians are?"

Try asking an everyday American how frustrated they are.

Protect our country and pay our people.

Fund DHS.

With that, I yield the floor.

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