Press Releases

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued the following statement after House Republican leadership blocked bipartisan, Senate-passed legislation to fund the law-abiding parts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while negotiations over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue:

“House Republicans had the opportunity to bring a bipartisan, Senate-passed funding bill to the floor and end this unnecessary shutdown. Had they done so, the law-abiding agencies under DHS would be funded, the dedicated public servants who keep our country running – including TSA agents, Coast Guard members, and FEMA personnel – would be paid, and the air travel delays afflicting Americans across the country would be resolved.

“House Republican leadership chose instead to extend the DHS shutdown by advancing legislation that has no viable path to passage in the Senate. They brought forward legislation that prioritizes additional funding for ICE without any meaningful safeguards to address the disturbing pattern of aggressive enforcement tactics that has terrorized communities and resulted in the tragic death of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. 

“Congress should not approve additional funding for operations that include masked agents breaking into homes and vehicles without judicial warrants. Americans should not tolerate lawless brutality from a federal agency, and ICE should not receive additional funding until these abuses are addressed. 

“It is not too late to do the right thing. Speaker Johnson can still bring the Senate-passed bill to the floor, reopen the law-abiding entities of DHS, and ensure that public servants are paid. He should.”