Congressman Veasey’s Statement on House Republicans’ Dangerous Short-Term CR to Fund DHS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement in regard to House Republicans' short-term continuing resolution that would fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for merely 3 weeks:

"As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to shut down tonight at midnight, House Republicans are once again toying with the security of American families by offering another short-term continuing resolution that would fund DHS for merely 3 weeks. This bill represents a willful refusal to govern by the Republican Congress. They are putting our country at risk in a partisan attack against President Obama, who took action on immigration only after repeated Republican refusals to do so.

House Republicans must realize that the duty of Congress is to keep American families safe and to govern responsibly. Instead, by offering funding for just 3 weeks, we are asking that our hardworking TSA screeners, ICE officers, Coast Guard members, and Secret Service Agents prepare for the possibility of work without pay next month.

It is time to protect the American people. That is why I call on House Republicans to act responsibly and join the 192 House Democrats who have already signed on to a long-term clean DHS funding bill today. By refusing to legitimately fund the Department of Homeland Security, the Republican Congress is showing that it is more concerned with appeasing the extreme right wing of its party, attacking the president, and undermining immigration policy than it is with the national security and safety of Americans. These are not the priorities of the American people and it is time to govern."