Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging Republicans To Support Democrats’ Proposal To Fund All Of DHS Except For ICE And CBP While The Senate Negotiates Reforms

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor urging Republicans to support Democrats' unanimous consent request to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP, and calling on Senate Republicans to work with Democrats on reforms to stop the abuses of ICE. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

The bottom line here is what [Appropriations Vice Chair] Murray is doing is very simple. If you want to fund TSA, if you want to fund all of the agencies in Homeland Security except ICE and CBP, this is the way to do it. Don't object, and it will all happen. I don't want to hear any complaints from Republicans about TSA not being funded if they block this today. I don't want to hear any complaints about Republicans about Coast Guard not being funded if they block this today. I don't want to hear any complaints from Republicans about cybersecurity and CISA if they block this today. The bottom line is simple.

There's a simple way to get this done. Of course, had the Republicans agreed to very simple, simple things to do with ICE and with Border Patrol, things that every police department does-show identity, use warrants before you bust in on somebody's house, we could get this done and get everything funded. But the bottom line is they refused, probably because the right wing doesn't like it, so then let's fund everything else but ICE and Border Patrol.

The bottom line is simple, the Republicans should not hold other agencies hostage, millions of Americans hostage because of their extreme positions on ICE, because they're backing up the kind of brutality that we've seen. We don't need hostages, we don't need any of that. The bottom line is simple.

ICE won't change with a new DHS Secretary. That will not be an excuse we can accept.

You can't fix a rotting house with a fresh coat of paint. So, we demand legislation. And as we work to that legislation, we can fund everything else.

Democrats are ready to pay TSA agents today. Democrats are ready to support the Coast Guard today. Democrats are ready to fund FEMA today. And only the Republicans blocking it stops it. And if they think the American people won't understand this, they're sadly mistaken. They know the administration is in charge of TSA, of Coast Guard, of FEMA. They know if there's no funding it's because the administration isn't funding them. But we can overcome the administration with this legislation.

And so, Republicans claim they are worried about the Coast Guard, Republicans claim they are worried about TSA and FEMA. They can't be too worried, because they're blocking it right now. I urge my colleagues on the Republican side, let this sensible, moderate, thoughtful legislation go through. Let's fund TSA. Let's fund Coast Guard. Let's fund FEMA. Let's fund CISA and not hold them hostage until an agreement on ICE and Border Patrol is reached.

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