ICYMI: U.S. Senator Katie Britt Speaks on the Senate Floor, Advocates for Continued Negotiations to Keep the Government Open

'Why [Democrats are] making people pay the price like a TSA officer to go without pay again is beyond me'

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) spoke on the Senate floor in support of passing a two-week continuing resolution (CR) to continue negotiations on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. She also addressed the Ranking Member of the DHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), after he objected to her proposal to continue negotiations for the American people.

On Republicans' good faith efforts to fund DHS:

"Two weeks ago, we agreed to extend funding while we talked and tried to find a pathway forward … It took the Democrats until Saturday evening to actually produce legislative text. Within the next four days, we were able to exchange dialogue and text again. You can take a look at what we've seen from the President and his outreach. What you've seen from the Secretary of Homeland Security and the deployment of body cameras across the country. And what we've heard from Tom Homan today. We are working in good faith to find a pathway forward.

"What we're asking is let us continue to do that … Extend this funding for two more weeks so that as we talk, as we negotiate, TSA agents don't miss a paycheck. So that FEMA workers who are helping to get out disaster relief to people … Mr. President, they deserve a paycheck."

On the importance of keeping the government open and paying thousands of American workers:

"It's clear we are operating in good faith, we are working to find a pathway forward. And the fact that people … who have stepped up to serve their country are not going to receive a paycheck, to me, is just totally, completely unacceptable, Mr. President.

"Look, we don't have to go down another government shutdown pathway. And that's exactly what this is. By not allowing us time to continue these conversations and shutting the government down, real people will pay the price. These same workers, these same agents who went without a paycheck for 43 days because of the failure of the Democrats to come to the table, then it's exactly what we're seeing now, Mr. President. It's a choice. It's entirely up to Senate Democrats."

On the Ranking Member of the DHS Appropriations Subcommittee falsely claiming that Republicans were holding up negotiations:

"We wanted more time. Democrats asked for two weeks. Our concern was that two weeks wasn't long enough. It took the Democrats a week to articulate what it is they wanted. They articulated it via press conference and via tweet … Not by conversation … Then it took them a number more days, from Wednesday to Saturday, to come up with legislative text … We want to continue this conversation. But yet you're penalizing a TSA agent. A TSA agent is going to go without a paycheck. Why? So that you can posture politically. I'm over it …"

"I had reports of TSA agents sleeping in their car because they can't afford gas. Selling plasma to make their bills … When the Biden Harris failed border policies allowed for millions to come across our border unvetted. When there were American citizens who paid the price in that moment, Mr. President, like Jocelyn Nungaray, who was 12 years old and raped and left under a bridge. Like Laken Riley, who fought for her life for 17 minutes, Mr. President, before her head, her skull was bashed in and we kept saying, we've got to do more to secure our border. And our Democratic colleague said that takes legislation. It can't be done. Well, we know that's not true because all we needed was a new president who secured our border and helped to make our country safe."

On Democrats' hypocrisy and Republicans' continued efforts to secure the border and keep communities safe:

"And I think the half a million unaccompanied kids that came across the border during the Biden-Harris administration matter … Many of them with phone numbers safety pinned to them or written on their arm. The Biden-Harris administration got rid of the DNA policy to make sure that these kids were going to family members. These kids were lost. Many of them still are. What we heard Tom Homan say today … he said that there was a significant draw down there in Minnesota. He said operations were successful and that 3000 kids who had been lost had been found.…

"Are [Republicans] negotiating in good faith? If it takes [Democrats] over eight days to get us legislative text, and we're able to turn that around in a couple of days, you have an announcement (from Tom Homan) like you have today, it's clear that we are. And so why [Democrats are] making people pay the price like a TSA officer to go without pay again is beyond me."

You can watch the Senator Britt's remarks here and her rebuttal here.

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