Senate Republicans Block Bill to Pay TSA Agents, Fund FEMA & Cyber Defense Agency as They Drag Their Feet on Common-Sense Reforms to Protect Americans from Violence at the[...]

Murray: "It has become all too clear that Republicans would rather keep DHS shut down than work with Democrats to prevent more Americans from being killed by masked federal agents."

Murray: "Instead of blocking bills to pay TSA agents-or wasting time with dead-on-arrival legislation-Republicans should finally listen to their constituents who want to see ICE reined in-and work with us to enact the reforms we need. I remain ready to get it done."

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

Washington, D.C. - Today-as Republicans set up more failed votes on the Homeland Security funding bill and drag their feet on common-sense reforms to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)-U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor and pushed to pass a new bill that would fund every agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-except ICE, CBP, and the Office of the Secretary-while negotiations continue to rein in ICE and Border Patrol.

However, Senate Republicans blocked Senator Murray's request to pass the bill through unanimous consent-after they underscored all week that it is imperative that Congress fund the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other important DHS functions.

As negotiations proceed on measures to rein in ICE and Border Patrol, the legislation Senator Murray introduced today:

• Funds FEMA, TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Secret Service, CISA, and other important DHS components.
• Excludes funding for ICE, CBP, and the Office of the Secretary.

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

"It has been nearly six weeks-six weeks-since Alex Pretti was killed by masked federal agents in broad daylight. It has been over nine weeks since Renee Good was killed.

"And day after day, week after week, we have seen Americans brutalized by an out-of-control Department of Homeland Security.

"American citizens detained without cause. Children ripped away from their families as this administration treats them like political pawns in their sick games. We've seen peaceful protestors have their windows broken in by untrained and unidentifiable agents. And we've seen more people get hurt and even die because of how ICE and Border Patrol have been conducting themselves.

"And this entire time, Democrats have been pushing for serious reform to rein in these agencies.

"For months, I have been at the table, in good faith, pushing to secure basic accountability measures for ICE and Border Patrol. We are talking about standards local police already follow across the country.

"But even before Alex Pretti was shot and killed, Republicans and this White House, in particular, were telling us 'no' on many basic reforms that would rein in ICE and CBP.

"We pushed for common-sense steps to make sure that poorly trained agents and officers do not trample the basic rights of American citizens and kill them for no reason. And we pushed for steps to prevent these rogue agencies from hiding the facts from the public and sweeping everything under the rug.But my colleagues across the aisle came back to us and said, 'Sorry, we cannot agree to those.'

"Sometimes, my Republican colleagues were willing to take one modest step or another, which I appreciated-only to come back to say the White House was not willing to do it and that they had to hold the line. Or worse, they backtracked on measures we had agreed to because of fears of what the White House would think.

"And now, here we find ourselves-nearly six weeks after Alex Pretti's brutal killing and Republicans have so far continued to refuse to join us to pass any common-sense reforms to prevent more Americans from being hurt-or even killed-by masked federal agents.

"As I have said many times: we are not asking for the moon. We are asking for basic steps to protect Americans' constitutional rights-and their safety.

"There is nothing new or controversial about body cameras-or requiring identification be displayed. There is nothing extreme about insisting ICE and Border Patrol follow the same standards as everyone else when it comes to use of force or needing a warrant before smashing in someone's door and dragging them away.

"These are common sense, and they are overwhelmingly popular. This is what the American people are demanding.

"But Republicans have decided they would rather shut down DHS than work with us to rein in these rogue agencies. Republicans know full well-Democrats want to ensure TSA, CISA, FEMA and other important agencies are funded.

"What Democrats have a problem with-is funding rogue agencies that are actively violating court orders and our civil rights, and putting Americans' safety at risk. We cannot, we will not, cut a blank check-funding without reforms-for ICE and Border Patrol.

"But if Republicans keep dragging their feet on those basic reforms we are asking for, to protect people from these rogue federal agencies, then we should at least make sure that TSA agents get paid, and FEMA is fully funded while those negotiations continue.

"TSA agents should not go without pay because Republicans refuse to agree to commonsense reforms instead of cutting another blank check for Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller to terrorize Americans.

"So yes, let's pay our Coast Guard and our TSA agents, let's replenish the Disaster Relief Fund, and support other work that we overwhelmingly all agree on.

"I have a bill, that I will offer in a moment, that will do that, and we can pass it right now while pressing ahead with negotiations on ICE and Border Patrol to get basic reforms and accountability the American people want.

"All week, I have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle loudly say funding for DHS could not be more important in this moment. They have argued the instability this President has unleashed with his reckless war in Iran means Democrats must fund DHS-including ICE-with no reforms at all.

"Now, there are some obvious problems with that argument-like the bizarre notion that because Trump started a reckless war with Iran, Democrats now must run and rush and cut ICE a blank check, or the fact that the biggest threat to cyber and counterterrorism work at DHS seems to be Kristi Noem who by the way, over the last year, has gutted CISA and has taken folks off the [counter]terrorism beat to deport farmworkers with no criminal history.

"Well put all that aside-I completely agree that we should fund our cyber defense agency, and FEMA, and TSA.

"So, I hope my Republican colleagues, who also believe, I know they do, that these agencies are important, and who have been making the case that they do need funding immediately-will join with me to get this bill passed today, while talks on ICE, Border Patrol, and much-needed reform and accountability measures can continue.

[MURRAY'S RESPONSE TO REPUBLICAN OBJECTION]

"Unfortunately, what has become very clear is that Republicans would rather keep DHS shut down than work with Democrats to prevent more Americans from being killed by masked federal agents.

"My Democratic colleagues and I have been very, very clear on the reforms we need. It is not secret, and we have been pushing for them for weeks on end-in good faith-to finalize a DHS bill that funds TSA and FEMA while reining in ICE and CBP.

"But Republicans and the White House have-now for months-refused to agree to the basic reforms we need to keep Americans safe. And they have said again and again that we need to fund FEMA and TSA and other key agencies.

"Well, I just tried to pass a bill that would make sure that those agencies are funded-while talks on reforms and accountability measures for ICE and Border Patrol continue-so guess what? They blocked that too.

"This is not complicated: Democrats want to get TSA officers paid and fund disaster relief, but we will not vote to help Republicans spend one more dime letting Stephen Miller terrorize American cities.

"And we will not vote to cut a blank check so that ICE can barge into Americans' homes without a warrant. We will not vote to allow ICE agents to continue wearing masks as they terrorize our communities and evade accountability. We need accountability for ICE and Border Patrol.

"And it is not just Democrats saying that, the American people overwhelmingly agree that Trump and Noem's lawless rampage has got to come to an end.

"People feel that way, because we have all seen what is happening, it is in plain sight. We have all seen the videos of people that are tackled and pepper sprayed in the face, of protesters who are gassed for no reason.

"We have seen the horrific shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and we have seen Kristi Noem, ICE, and Border Patrol blatantly lie and slander people like Renee, and Alex, and Marimar Martinez by falsely calling them domestic terrorists.

"What we have not yet seen is accountability. That has got to end. No amount of Republican revotes on the same failed bill is going to change that.

"And while our bill to fund the Coast Guard, and TSA, and FEMA as negotiations continue was just objected to. So Mr. President, I am ready at any time to pass that, it is the right thing to do.

"Instead of blocking bills to pay TSA agents-or wasting time with dead-on-arrival legislation-I hope that Republicans will listen to what we are asking for, listen to what their constituents are asking for-we need to see ICE have accountability, and work with us to pass those reforms in order to fund that full agency. With that, and with my colleagues, I will continue to work to get that done."

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