Gluesenkamp Perez Releases Statement on Her Vote to Keep the Government Open

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) released the following statement after voting for legislation that funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2026:

"When fishermen in Pacific County get in trouble out on the water, the Coast Guard makes sure they're safe. When there's flooding or landslides in Southwest Washington, FEMA helps our families get back on their feet. The Department of Homeland Security is extremely important to my community. I could not in good conscience vote to shut it down.

"Many in my community, myself included, believe the Administration was on the right track when they pledged to secure our borders and uphold law and order. However, it now appears to many of us that in pursuit of politically motivated removal goals and rushed timelines, federal law enforcement is being pressured to exercise overly aggressive tactics that endanger law enforcement and civilians. This is corrosive to the long term security and stability of our great country. Indiscriminate, overly aggressive slogans like 'Defund ICE' are not the solutions. We should not be forced into a false choice between having no border security and arresting US citizens.

"In a DHS shutdown, ICE would continue operating with limited oversight thanks to funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill, which I voted against. Meanwhile, agencies like the Coast Guard or FEMA-and communities like mine-would take the hit.

"It frustrates me to no end that House leaders on my side of the aisle have again embraced a false narrative-that shutdowns solve problems-instead of being honest about the tools we have at our disposal and working towards bipartisan solutions to protect public safety and our constitutional rights."

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