Thune on the Importance of Funding DHS

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Thune's remarks below (as delivered):

"Mr. President, funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out on Friday.

"Over the weekend, the Trump administration and congressional Democrats engaged in meaningful talks on a path forward.

"And Democrats have made their demands known in detail.

"Some of them are positive starting points for further discussion.

"Others are nonstarters - and unnecessarily tie the hands of law enforcement.

"In the coming days, the administration and Democrats will need to work out their differences.

"And I expect that the Trump administration - with the full backing of congressional Republicans - will continue to resist any effort to make it harder for law enforcement to detain and deport dangerous illegal aliens, which is what many of the Democrats' demands would do.

"And I expect that the administration - again with the backing of Republicans here in Congress - will insist on reforms of its own.

"I expect that those will include changes aimed at protecting federal law enforcement officers, who are increasingly under threat from an organized and well-funded campaign to undermine immigration enforcement efforts.

"Equally important is addressing cooperation - or the lack thereof - between local and federal law enforcement.

"Too many jurisdictions prohibit local police from cooperating with immigration enforcement - a policy that not only defies common sense but makes things more dangerous for everyone.

"And so I hope that my Democrat colleagues are prepared to talk about these and other issues.

"Mr. President, as in any good-faith negotiation there will be some back and forth.

"We've already seen the Trump administration act in good faith.

"Last week, Tom Homan announced an agreement to draw down 700 federal agents in Minnesota - something made possible thanks to increased cooperation from local law enforcement.

"The Trump administration has already said it will deploy body cameras to all officers deployed in Minneapolis.

"And, as I've mentioned before, Republicans previously agreed to provide additional money for body cameras and deescalation training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in a bipartisan, full-year Homeland Security bill.

"But Democrats reneged on that deal.

"Going forward, it is my hope that Democrats will work constructively and honor their commitments.

"Because Republicans are serious about getting this funding bill done.

"That's one of the reasons we wanted to provide more time for negotiations.

"We're just a few days away from the deadline that Democrats chose, and it's very possible we won't have our work finished by then.

"If Democrats are serious about finding a solution here, they may need to find more time to bring these efforts to a productive conclusion.

"Mr. President, a government shutdown - even one that affects just one agency - is not in anybody's interest, least of all that of the hardworking Americans who staff these agencies and the American people who depend on their important work.

"As Roll Call reported, the Coast Guard is awaiting funding, and I quote, 'for new cutter and icebreaker ships, plus new helicopters and drones, not to mention higher spending on day-to-day missions' in the full-year bill.

"DHS oversees cybersecurity missions that - if not fully funded - would leave America vulnerable to cyberattack.

"FEMA is a DHS agency, and it needs certainty to be able to both prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

"And then there's the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which provides instruction for federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers - not to mention for our own Capitol Police.

"So Mr. President, I could go on about the important work that falls under the Department of Homeland Security - and the need to pass a full-year bill to fund the entire department.

"But I'll leave it here, Mr. President.

"We need to keep working toward a solution, and if it's going to take longer than a few days, we need to provide the time necessary to finish the job."

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