Scalise: Democrats’ Dangerous Games Hurt Workers, Families, and National Security

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) to highlight the real consequences of Democrats' Department of Homeland Security shutdown - from unpaid TSA agents to airport chaos and heightened security risks. Leader Scalise underscored that House Republicans remain focused on restoring DHS operations and protecting American families.

Click hereor the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.

Highlights from Leader Scalise's remarks:

On airport chaos as TSA workers go without pay:

"You're also going to see the Democrats start trying to shift blame as the final results of what they've done to shut down the Department of Homeland Security become evident to all Americans. Anybody who flies on a plane now knows what the Democrats have done with the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. At my home airport in New Orleans, you had lines wrapped around the airport all the way into the parking garage - people waiting over 3 hours and missing flights because Democrats want to have yet another tantrum. It's not the first time that they've tried to spark chaos in the country. As the Whip said, it's the second shutdown they've had in just 6 months because Democrats don't want to govern.

"Democrats are not capable of governing. They just want chaos in America. And it's hurting real Americans all across this nation. Obviously, it starts with those workers that aren't getting paid that have to show up. And we see it at the airports with TSA agents. Over 100,000 employees at the Department of Homeland Security are working without pay because Democrats don't care about people."

On Democrats reviving their "Defund the Police" agenda:

"This week, you're going to hear [Democrats] talking about a discharge petition. Let me tell you what that is. It's yet another attempt by Democrats to defund the police. It's a defund the police discharge. That's what it is. Why? Because go back to the Summer of Love. You know, when people were burning down cities, Democrats' crazy idea was to defund the police. They tried it. The American people recognized it for what it is, one of the dumbest political ideas maybe in the history of American politics. But the Democrats aren't done with it. Now that you're in another moment of Democrat-created chaos, what is their answer? To defund law enforcement again. That's what their petition does. The American people aren't going to be fooled by it."

On the heightened security threat under the Democrat DHS shutdown:

"We have a Department of Homeland Security. It was created in the wake of 9/11. Democrats are operating like it's September 10th, before 9/11 happened. They want to repeat those mistakes by shutting that critical department down at a heightened level of security. We've seen the terrorist attacks here on our homeland. We know what's going on. And yet Democrats have voted to shut that department down because they don't care about American people. They don't care about families.

"People are missing flights. People are going without pay while working. Hundreds of them have quit. TSA workers that just said, 'I can't do this anymore. I've got a family to feed. I've got to go get a stable job.' And working for the federal government under Democrats' crazy radical chaos is just not a place where they can be. They're real victims in the Democrats' dangerous game... We've got real work to do, and American people are counting on us to get the job done."