Senator Murray to House Republicans: Put the DHS Funding Bill on the Floor Today

Murray : "If Speaker Johnson and House Republicans are looking for someone to blame for the shutdown, we need to find them a mirror."

*** WATCH : Senator Murray's remarks***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democratic leadership at a press conference to call on Speaker Johnson to stop blocking the bipartisan bill that the Senate twice passed unanimously to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

On March 27 and then again April 2, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to fund TSA, FEMA, the Secret Service, Coast Guard, and more. But despite vowing to fund DHS "in the coming days," Speaker Johnson has extended the historic shutdown by refusing to put the bill up for a vote.

Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below:

"Let's be clear: House Republicans could fund DHS today-they should have done it a month ago after we unanimously passed a bill in the Senate to fund DHS and get agencies-TSA, FEMA, Secret Service, Coast Guard funded-literally over a month ago.

"And after the House sent us back a non-starter, the Senate again, second time, unanimously cleared a bill to fund DHS.

"On April 1st, Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune vowed to fund DHS 'in the coming days.' Must have been an April Fools' joke? Because, instead, Speaker Johnson has extended the shutdown for four weeks and counting.

"So if Speaker Johnson and House Republicans are looking for someone to blame for the shutdown, we need to find them a mirror. Because nothing is stopping them from getting DHS funded this week, today, just like nothing was stopping them last week, or the week before that.

"As for ICE and Border Patrol funding-Democrats have been clear: we will not provide new funding until there are desperately-needed reforms. After the abuses we've seen, that should not be a lot to ask. They are very basic things-visible ID, no masks, [judicial] warrants, use of force protocols-none of that is extreme in the slightest. And by the way, we were actually making progress in our talks. The White House and Republicans agreed to some reforms, until suddenly they did not.

"Suddenly they decided to go the partisan route and shovel billions upon billions of dollars at ICE and Border Patrol without any new reforms, all the while House Republicans are twiddling their thumbs and blocking the bill to fund the rest of DHS that's been without funding for a record-breaking stretch.

"In fact, Secretary Mullin and the White House are clear they need to pass this bill, otherwise they will no longer have the funds to pay the Coast Guard, TSA screeners, and all the other employees at DHS, after this next paycheck at the end of this week.

"So, it's well over time for Speaker Johnson and House Republicans to stop holding up disaster relief, funding for the Coast Guard, TSA, Secret Service, and more-and make sure these employees get paid later in May.

"Speaker Johnson needs to listen to the advice of many of his ownmembers -and put the bipartisan funding bill on the floor now. We know it will pass overwhelmingly if it is just put up for a vote. So, they need to get this done.

"Americans have had enough of this Republican chaos. From gas prices, to grocery prices, to a president starting wars unchecked, to failing to fund most of DHS, Republicans are actually causing their own problems, and Americans are paying the price."

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