“The next cyberattack on our homeland – Democrats will bear full responsibility. The next lone wolf terrorist attack – Democrats will bear full responsibility. The next criminal who crosses our border illegally and kills an innocent American – Democrats will bear full responsibility.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about the upcoming vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security. For nearly three weeks, Democrats have refused to fund the Department and its critical, anti-terrorism agencies.
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
“I come to the Floor today having just listened to the Minority Leader talk about a number of topics. But what he didn’t talk about was the fact that his party has shut down the Department of Homeland Security. There’s a poll that’s out by Gallup, and it says what should be ‘very important in terms of U.S. foreign policy goals.’ And the number one thing is to prevent future acts of international terrorism. Well, how do we prevent it? Who is it in this country that counters terrorism? It’s the Department of Homeland Security which the Democrats – and they’re going to have to vote again today – are likely, as they’ve announced, to vote to keep it shut down. That is a betrayal of the American people. He used the word ‘betrayal’ and to me, that’s where it fits: with what actions the Democrats are likely to take today.
“What’s the number two ‘very important purpose of U.S. foreign policy as a goal’ from the Gallup poll of the American people? Number two is preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. So what do we hear the Minority Leader talk about? His opposition to the efforts to show Peace through Strength and undermine the ability of Iran to develop and use and deploy nuclear weapons. Once again, betrayal by the Democrats of the American people.
“Today, the Senate will vote on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. This vital department needs to be funded immediately. The Democrats have been blocking it for weeks. Protecting the American people is not optional. It is the first duty of government.
“For three weeks, Democrats have held hostage the Department of Homeland Security. Why? Because Democrats continue to prioritize illegal immigrant criminals ahead of American citizens. Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security because they want to end immigration enforcement in America. Democrats refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security because they want to turn America into a sanctuary country.
“Democrats in this chamber would rather oppose President Trump than protect the American people. Let me say it again. Senate Democrats would rather oppose President Trump than protect the American people. This shutdown is a cheap publicity stunt for the radical left and a costly danger for our country.
“Now that America has struck Iran, the number one threat to our homeland is the threat of terrorism. Last weekend in Austin, Texas, a lone-wolf terrorist opened fire into a crowded establishment – killing three Americans and wounding over a dozen more. The shooter was wearing a tee shirt with the Iranian flag under a sweatshirt that said, ‘Property of Allah.’ The warning lights are flashing red.
“We know that Iran exports its terror abroad. For four years, Joe Biden and the Democrats opened the border. We don’t know who is inside our country today. When Joe Biden was in office, 1,500 illegal immigrants from Iran were arrested at our southern border. Democrats released half of them into our country. That was the Democrat idea of catch and release. Who are they? Where are they now? And what are they doing? And these are just the people we know about. Under Joe Biden, there were millions of known gotaways.
“Iran’s tentacles of terror are here in our communities. Now, the Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement nationwide about the elevated risk of lone-wolf attacks. And yet at this very moment, Democrats in this chamber continue to block funding for the very agency tasked with stopping these attacks.
“Senator Chris Murphy – a Democrat from Connecticut – said funding the Department of Homeland Security is ‘ridiculous.’ I’ll tell you what is ridiculous. It is ridiculous to shut down the agency responsible for finding terrorists in our country and stopping them. It is ridiculous to refuse to pay the men and women who protect our homeland. It is ridiculous to cripple our cyber defense.
“The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – which is part of the Department of Homeland Security – protects our nation’s critical infrastructure, including our energy infrastructure. Today, only 800 of its over 2,000 employees are on the job. And they’re working without pay. The others have been furloughed during the shutdown. Because of this shutdown, the agency has canceled both physical and cybersecurity assessments to detect vulnerabilities. This is a direct threat to our nation’s security. Shutting down the Department of Homeland Security – as Democrats in this chamber have done – makes our country less safe and makes our citizens more vulnerable.
“Republicans have negotiated with Democrats in good faith. The President sent offers to Democrats to say, ‘Look let’s be reasonable here. Open the Department of Homeland Security.’ But yet they refuse. This is the time for safety, strength, and security. The Democrat shutdown endangers every American.
“The Democrat shutdown endangers every American. The next cyberattack on our homeland – Democrats will bear full responsibility. The next lone wolf terrorist attack – Democrats will bear full responsibility. The next criminal who crosses our border illegally and kills an innocent American – Democrats will bear full responsibility.
“America’s safety and security is not a bargaining chip. I will vote with my Republican colleagues today to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security without delay.”
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