Lankford on Senate Floor: Democrats Decided “Politics Is Better Than the Actual Solution” as DHS Shutdown Continues

WASHINGTON, DC - US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chairman of the Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), today took to the Senate floor to urge Democrats to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"The White House has presented a set of ideas on paper, put them into legislative text, and handed them to Democrats two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, and said, 'Here are the reforms that we would agree with that you've asked for: badges, body-worn cameras, de-escalation training, process reforms.' All those things they put out there. And for two weeks my Democratic colleagues have determined the politics is better than the actual solution," said Lankford on the Senate floor. "And so they've [Democrats] just said, 'Let's do the politics.' The problem with the politics on this is a quarter million DHS employees are not being paid right now. So, it doesn't make good politics for them. They're trying to figure out how to feed their family."

Lankford has consistently spoken out on the harms of the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security caused by Senate Democrats, including on the Senate floor and on Fox News earlier this week. You can watch his floor speech from earlier this week HERE. You can watch his interview on Fox News HERE. You can download his speech from today HERE.

Background

This past year, Lankford introduced his Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2025. Introduced initially in February 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act requires that if appropriations work is not done on time, all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, DC, and work until the spending bills are completed. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress completes appropriations.

Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations.

You can view the full text of the bill HERE.

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