Another Democrat shutdown is hurting American families just to score political points |
Another Democrat shutdown is hurting American families just to score political points
One of the most provocative posts on X recently showed members of Congress being escorted by officials to the front of security lines in order to board a flight. This, while thousands of travelers are waiting in hours-long queues because Democrats are refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Hundreds of TSA agents, working without pay, have quit or called in sick, creating chaos at our country’s airports.
The video of Congresswomen Nancy Mace and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz avoiding security lines was a fake, recorded months ago and probably posted by an irate traveler, according to Wasserman-Schultz’ office. But it is true that members of Congress get special treatment at airports for security reasons. As families heading to spring break wrestle their toddlers through hours of unpleasant wait-time, elected officials — and especially Democrats — might want to avoid displaying that privilege.
Democrats in Congress are making life miserable for millions of ordinary Americans by refusing to fund Homeland Security. They want to show their anger over what they consider to be overreach by Customs and Border Protection and the reckless behavior of ICE officers, which resulted in the deaths of two Americans in Minnesota. But by blocking DHS funding, they have also stopped paychecks going out to agencies other than CPB and ICE, including the TSA, FEMA, the Secret Service and the Coast Guard.
Most Americans were likely not paying much attention to the budget impasse until air travel was disrupted. Now they are, and they are angry. Officials have warned that some airports might have to close altogether, such is the chaos on the ground.
Democrats don’t care. They have refused several times now to sign off on funding DHS, causing a weeks-long shut down. Given the violent storms that have torn up parts of the Midwest and Northeast in recent weeks, defunding FEMA is an insult. At the same time, the U.S. has come under recent attack on four separate occasions from Islamic extremists; not having the full capabilities of Homeland Security operating to protect citizens while our country is at war in the Middle East, in unconscionable.
Funding for ICE, which is purportedly what Democrats are withholding, has already been approved by Congress through 2029, so shutting down Homeland Security is pointless. It is political posturing, meant to solidify Democrats’ standing with the illegal immigrant-loving community (where I’m pretty sure they are already on solid ground).
Where Democrats are not on solid ground is with voters. Polling over the past year has shown the Democratic Party earning record-low approval ratings, with liberal voters furious their representatives are not doing more to stand up to President Trump. In response, Democrats under the leadership of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have shut down all or part of the government on three separate occasions over the past year. Last fall, a sustained government closure resulted in a major hit to our economy, suppressing GDP growth by more than 1 percent, according to analysts. This is how Democrats pretend to help our country.
Democrats complain that the White House, in league with congressional Republicans, has been unwilling to negotiate an end to the partial government shutdown. In a letter sent to Sens. Susan Collins and Katie Britt by DHS officials, the White House refutes those claims.
The administration has made significant concessions in how ICE operations will go forward, including requiring more extensive use of body cameras and ruling out enforcement activities in “sensitive” locations like hospitals and churches, which they claim is already common practice. Further, the White House commits to enforcing the use of “visible officer identification”; critics have complained that anonymous, masked ICE agents frighten innocent bystanders.
In short, the administration has agreed to many of the demands made by Democrats. In addition, in his Senate hearings recently, Markwayne Mullin, who has been nominated by the president to replace Kristi Noem as head of DHS, agreed to further soften the immigration enforcement tactics used by ICE.
Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, told the Homeland Security Committee that under his leadership, ICE would no longer enter homes without a judicial warrant — another demand from Democrats. That change will slow arrests and deportations, and had been opposed by ICE officers. He also indicated that the agency would work more closely with jails, rather than employing the kind of broad sweeps that touched off the deadly confrontations in Minnesota. Though the hearings were contentious, mainly because of a past dispute between committee chair Sen. Rand Paul and the candidate, Mullin was approved and now heads for confirmation.
But do Democrats really want to amend ICE’s practices, or simply to batter the White House on its immigration policies?
Trump campaigned on closing the border; he has done that. He also campaigned on deporting criminals in the U.S. illegally, which the majority of the country supports. But the White House went too far, rounding up undocumented people who had committed no other crimes, and who had in some cases been in the U.S. for years. Most Americans are tolerant of long-time residents who have contributed to our society and economy, even if they entered illegally. Trump has lost favor on this issue and is making changes to White House enforcement policies as a result.
Meanwhile, Democrats are resolute, and continue to block DHS funding. Thousands of government employees are, for the third time in less than 18 months, having to work without pay. Millions of travelers are being inconvenienced. All so that Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries can claim they are fighting back against the Trump White House.
Let us hope voters punish them this fall.
Liz Peek is a former partner of major bracket Wall Street firm Wertheim and Company.
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