Moolenaar Votes to Fund Entirety of Department of Homeland Security

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar voted in favor of legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security in its entirety. This is the fourth attempt by House Republicans to end the partial government shutdown affecting agencies including TSA, FEMA, Border Patrol, ICE, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

"DHS employees keep our country safe and deserve to get paid for their critical work. The measure passed by the Senate in the dead of night unfortunately leaves critical aspects of DHS national security operations unfunded. This is not a time for half-measures. DHS should be funded in its entirety," said Moolenaar. "If Congress needs more time to negotiate reforms for specific agencies, DHS employees should not be caught in the middle. The House proposals to fully fund DHS are the only serious efforts to reopen the department, and it should be taken up by the Senate immediately."

The Department of Homeland Security has remained shut down since funding lapsed for the department on February 14. Many DHS agencies are deemed essential, requiring its employees to work without pay for the duration of government shutdowns.

The legislation passed by the Senate at 2:30 AM last night defunds U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leaving 26% of DHS unfunded. By contrast, the legislation passed this evening by the House funds all of the department's crucial national security operations until May 22, and provides Congress the opportunity to negotiate year-long appropriations.