Senator Murray Statement on DHS Funding

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"Democrats have been clear for weeks: there is absolutely no reason that TSA agents' paychecks should be held hostage to Republicans' demands to provide another blank check for ICE and Border Patrol-and it is just plain wrong that their pay has been held up this long. But finally, Republicans have relented, and we are now on track to fund the areas we agree on and get TSA agents paid, get our airports moving again, and fund important disaster relief and cybersecurity work.

"This is very good news for the TSA agents who've been working without pay and all the families who are looking forward to spring break travel.

"But it is a shame that instead of working with Democrats to land the plane on several common-sense reforms to ICE and Border Patrol that the White House had already agreed to, Republicans walked away from constructive conversations and ultimately rejected some basic steps to reform these agencies. I will keep fighting to secure real, meaningful steps to help rein in these rogue agencies-we just need Republicans to join us.

"Because the American people spoke up and because Democrats stood their ground and stood united, we have already forced changes to the way this administration is conducting immigration enforcement, and we have rejected the ridiculous false choice that the only way to prevent chaos at our airports is by cutting another blank check for President Trump and Stephen Miller. Speaking up matters. We've got to keep fighting-and demanding the accountability the American people deserve. That's exactly what I'll keep doing."

The funding bill released and passed by the Senate tonight mirrors the bill that Senator Murray introduced on March 5-and that Democrats have repeatedly tried to pass through unanimous consent, but that Republicans have blocked on each occasion.

The bill funds all of the Department of Homeland Security, except for ICE and Border Patrol, which receive no new appropriations in the bill. It includes necessary "start-up" language after a lapse of appropriations, guarantees backpay to workers who went without pay during the shutdown, and retains the new accountability measures included in the legislation introduced in January.

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