By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
Most of us only encounter Homeland Security when we roll through the airport and get body scanned by TSA security staff. But they’re just part of an almost-quarter-million member workforce, currently threatened with imminent closure if Congress fails to pass a funding bill. And right now, Congress seems frozen in partisan gridlock. Travelers at Newark Liberty vented.
“You know, Congress really needs to get it together because we have more harmful things going on in this world than to be fighting over the budget,” said Teresa Brewer from Atlanta.
When asked how he would characterize this whole thing, Joseph Sekula of San Fransisco said, “Normal gridlock. Normal government.”
“It’s just taking so much time, right, in coming to a decision with this. And we don’t know how much longer it’s gonna take,” said Vipul Suvarna of Woodbridge.
Here’s the problem: Republicans oppose President Obama’s executive orders granting legal status to millions of undocumented residents either brought here illegally as kids or related to U.S. citizens. To undo those orders, House Republicans crafted a Homeland Security measure that stripped all funding for the president’s immigration programs. It passed the House, but Democrats blocked it in the Senate and refused to budge.
“It’s clear we can’t go forward in the Senate unless you’ve all heard something I haven’t. And so the next move is up to the House,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“The House has done its job under the Constitution. It’s time for the Senate to do their job. Senate Democrats are the ones putting us in this precarious position, and it’s up to Senate Democrats to get their act together,” said Speaker of the House John Boehner.
Boehner says he’s willing to let funding lapse. Democrats watched Republicans duke it out on Sunday talk shows, but New Jersey freshman Bonnie Watson Coleman says they want to vote on a new, clean DHS funding bill.
“For Republicans to hold this up in this way, it’s absolutely ludicrous, irresponsible. Give up a bill that funds this very important department and then debate the issue of immigration later. One hundred eighty-eight Democrats signed on to this. All we need are 30 Republicans. We know they exist. For the speaker to hold this up and and not allow this to come to the floor is not only an act of irresponsibility, but it is an act of betrayal.”
New Jersey Republicans voted for the House measure. Meanwhile, the White House is reportedly ready to unleash a PR blitz this week to crank up the pressure on GOP lawmakers.
Among the critiques: “Congress continues to get paid but law enforcement officials associated with defending our borders, protecting us against cyber attack, defending our airports and making sure that airlines and aviation security is upheld are forced to work without pay,” said White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough.
In the aftermath of the recent Charlie Hebdo murders, the shootings in Denmark this past weekend and cyber-attacks on major financial institutions, citizens worry about defunding Homeland Security. However, 200,000 of its employees are in exempt categories who must stay the job on during a shutdown because they’re crucial to protect human life and property. But they would not get paid.
“No, they can’t do that. We’re Americans, we deserve our pay if we’re gonna be working every day,” said Brewer.
“I wouldn’t work if I were them if I wasn’t getting paid, that’s for sure,” said Sekula.
Congress is in recess for the rest of the week, so when they do get back to work in Washington, they’ll have only four days to come up with some kind of compromise before they hit the deadline — Feb. 28.