Scalise Sounds the Alarm: Stop the Games and Fund Homeland Security Now
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is delivering a blunt message to Democrats: stop putting partisan politics ahead of the safety of the American people. With the Department of Homeland Security partially shut down for 18 days and tensions rising after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Scalise says now is not the time for political stunts.
“Put the safety and security of the American people first and stop playing political games to appease the far-left base, especially at a time like this,” Scalise said in a recent interview, underscoring the seriousness of the moment.
The federal government has been largely funded through September 30 thanks to bipartisan agreements covering 97% of agencies. But Democrats have refused to back a funding measure for DHS, holding it hostage over their opposition to President Donald Trump’s tough immigration enforcement policies.
As global instability grows, Republicans argue that weakening the very department tasked with protecting America’s borders and homeland security sends a dangerous message to both our allies and our enemies.
A Critical Moment for National Security
The timing could not be worse. In the aftermath of military action targeting Iran, the United States is operating on heightened alert. DHS plays a central role in safeguarding the homeland from terror threats, cyberattacks, and border incursions.
“We are on a higher level of alert, and this is not the time for Democrats to be playing games and shutting down the department that is focused on keeping Americans safe here at home,” Scalise warned. “We’re bringing this bill back up again to try to get them to come to their senses and open the Department of Homeland Security.”
House GOP leadership has scheduled a vote on the same bipartisan DHS funding bill that passed the House in January with a 220-207 vote. Only seven Democrats supported it at the time, while nearly every Republican stood united behind it.
Though the bill stalled in the Senate after Democrats demanded restrictions on immigration enforcement, Republicans have made clear they will not agree to policies that undermine border security or tie the hands of law enforcement officers.
More Than Just Immigration
While DHS is often associated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), its responsibilities stretch far beyond the southern border.
- Protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats through CISA
- Safeguarding the president and other officials via the U.S. Secret Service
- Ensuring airline and airport security through the TSA
- Preventing domestic and international terror threats
Shutting down or hamstringing this department affects far more than immigration enforcement. It directly impacts aviation security, cybersecurity operations, and coordination with state and local law enforcement.
Scalise also pointed out that America is preparing to host major international events, including the World Cup. Officials responsible for event security have already warned that continued funding uncertainty could force the cancellation of certain preparations — and that was before tensions escalated in the Middle East.
The American People Are Watching
Scalise made it clear that this vote is about more than legislative maneuvering. It’s about whether members of Congress will do their duty to protect the country.
“The country is watching and expects members of Congress to take the safety of the American people at heart.”
At a time when threats abroad are intensifying and America must remain vigilant, Republicans are standing firm: fund Homeland Security, secure the border, and protect the nation.
The question now is whether Democrats will continue appeasing their far-left activists — or finally put America first.
