Barrett Votes Again to Fund DHS While Democrats Play Politics and Jeopardize National Security

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Tom Barrett and the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the second time this year. The bill (H.R. 7744) was approved by a 221-209 vote with all but four Democrats voting to keep DHS shut down despite the increased risk to public safety and national security resulting from the conflict in Iran.

“Democrats are outright refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security at a time when Iran is actively seeking to do us harm and undermine our national security,” said Barrett. “Now is not the time to play political games with the agency tasked with protecting our homeland — from the Coast Guard to counterterrorism units and airport TSA — all of which are risking their lives to keep Americans safe without a paycheck. I will stand with our troops and vote for this funding package as many times as it takes for the other side of the aisle to join us.”

Ahead of today’s vote, House Democratic leadership strongly urged their members to vote “no” on H.R. 7744, which is identical to the bipartisan DHS funding bill that passed the House in January with Barrett’s support. Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Coast Guard stationed in Bahrain — who are risking their lives without a paycheck — have fallen under attack from Iran.

Despite increased tensions and this legislation passing the House twice, progress has since stalled in the Senate where the bill requires several Democrats’ support to pass. As a result, DHS has been shut down for nearly three weeks, jeopardizing the missions of the U.S. Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and various other counterterrorism units.