Senate Gridlock: DHS Funding Bill Fails 7th Time Amid Shutdown
Despite Trump's order to pay TSA agents, the Senate has repeatedly failed to advance a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, leaving the agency shutdown for over a month.
In a continued display of legislative gridlock, the US Senate has failed for the seventh time to advance a bill that would partially fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This latest vote came just hours after President Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order instructing the new DHS Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents during the ongoing government shutdown.
The decision to pay TSA workers could ease the immediate urgency for Congress to reach a deal, as the Senate heads into a scheduled two-week recess. However, the underlying issue of fully funding the DHS remains unresolved, leaving the critical agency shuttered for almost six weeks.
The repeated failure to advance the funding bill underscores the deep partisan divide in Congress, with Democrats and Republicans unable to find common ground on the contentious issue of border security that has fueled the wider government shutdown.
"This is a dangerous game of chicken that's being played," said Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware. "We need to fund the Department of Homeland Security."
The DHS, which oversees agencies such as the TSA, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been operating with limited resources since the partial government shutdown began in late December 2018. The ongoing impasse has disrupted critical functions, with TSA staffing shortages leading to longer lines at airports and the Coast Guard warning that it may have to cease some operations.
"The failure to fund the Department of Homeland Security is irresponsible and puts the safety and security of the American people at risk," said Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah. "It's time for both parties to come together and find a solution."
Despite the president's move to pay TSA agents, the larger issue of DHS funding remains unresolved. As the shutdown drags on, the impact on national security and public safety is expected to intensify, heightening the pressure on lawmakers to break the partisan deadlock.
"We are in uncharted territory here," said Professor Emeritus James Carafano, a homeland security expert at the Heritage Foundation. "The longer this goes on, the more the American people will demand that Congress do its job and fund the government."
Source: The Guardian
