Currently, the United States is functioning without a fully financed Department of Homeland Security, which serves as the country’s primary defense against terror threats, especially during times of international conflict. This situation has led to stern warnings from Republican leaders.
“This is certainly not the time to play games,” remarked House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) during an interview with Fox News on Saturday. His comments came in response to threats from Tehran, which has vowed retribution against the United States following collaborative military actions with Israel targeting Iran.
Expressing frustration over the lack of progress, Crawford stated, “If this doesn’t move the needle for our Democrat friends, I don’t know what will,” highlighting the precarious global circumstances and the Democrats’ hesitance over approving additional funding for this essential agency.
The Republican Party is intensifying its calls for Democrats to resolve the partial shutdown of DHS funding, a situation that has persisted since February 14th.
As a member of the “Gang of Eight,” a bipartisan group consisting of four Republicans and four Democrats, Crawford receives access to some of the most sensitive intelligence briefings available to Congress.
The US military operations against Iran, carried out in coordination with Israel under Operation Epic Fury, commenced just hours after the Department of Homeland Security employees experienced their first significant paycheck interruption due to the funding impasse.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the United States’ airstrikes on Iran:
Democrats have leveraged the current 60-vote Senate filibuster scenario to block funding for DHS to issue demands for sweeping reforms to immigration enforcement policy. A DHS funding measure has already cleared the House.
The Dems’ demands came in response to the shootings of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January. The Trump administration has since ended its related Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
Just last week, the White House made a counteroffer to Democrats.
Some of the sticking points are Democrats’ demands for judicial warrant requirements for immigration enforcement raids and a ban on federal agents wearing masks. Both of those points are red lines for Republicans.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection are already funded under the One Big Beautiful Bill. But other critical DHS agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard, are not.
The urgent concerns for DHS funding have done little to sway Democrats who are locked in on the shutdown.
“They went to war with Iran (which nobody in America was asking for) so they could conjure an excuse to allow ICE to keep murdering Americans and teargassing schools here at home with impunity (which nobody in America was asking for),” Sen Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) claimed of the GOP on X.
Republicans only need seven or eight defections in the Senate. Both chambers of Congress are set to reconvene this week.
“When the Senate gavels in next week, the very first order of business should be simple: fund the Department of Homeland Security,” Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) wrote on X.
“Chuck Schumer & Democrats should stop blocking a vote on the funding bill,” he said, referring to the New York senator. “Protecting the homeland isn’t partisan — it’s fundamental.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also grumbled on the platform, “Congress funded countless priorities that Dems requested.
“The least Dems can do is fund Homeland Security.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) added on X, “Given the situation in the Middle East and the potential for Iran and its terrorist proxies to attempt some type of attack, it is imperative that [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer] and [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries] immediately drop all opposition to funding the Department of Homeland Security and pass the funding bill.”
