TRANSCRIPT: At A Press Conference On DHS Funding, Leader Schumer Demands Speaker Johnson Pass Bipartisan Funding Now And Stop Playing Games With National Security

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke at a press conference demanding that House Republicans pass the twice-Senate-passed bipartisan funding bill for DHS, stop playing games with national security, and focus on the cost-of-living crisis instead of a gilded ballroom. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Let me be crystal clear with Americans all across the country, the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded because of House Republicans and the inability of Republicans, House and Senate, to get their act together. The Senate has twice - twice - passed DHS funding unanimously, starting 33 days ago. It's 33 days since the Senate passed the funding. All the House had to do, all Johnson has to do, is put it on the floor, and it'll pass. It'll pass by a whole lot of votes. But right now, Republicans are blocking it. Full stop. No other explanation. That's the entire story, period. Republicans are blocking DHS funding.

And now, instead of focusing on the one thing that could make Americans safer, passing the DHS bill, what are Republicans focused on? It's amazing-a $400 million gilded ballroom funded by the taxpayers. That's not about national security. If it was, they would pass the DHS bill today.

Trump is focused - instead of on national security by funding DHS, by coming to an end of this war, which puts us in security danger - he's focused on the ballroom. What is the matter with him? It's so out of touch with what Americans want. Americans struggling with the affordability crisis don't want a $400 million gold-plated ballroom. Americans want to be safe.

It's been over a month since the Senate first passed the DHS bill unanimously. We did it twice. For 33 days, House Republicans have chosen to block DHS funding. And Democrats, we stand as one to keep our national security strong and keep Americans safe.

Republicans keep digging themselves deeper and deeper in a hole, and then they try to point fingers at us, but they should be looking right in the mirror. We've passed this, twice, all the Democrats joining with our Senate Republicans. But Republicans continue to undermine our security by infighting and delaying the DHS bill.

If Trump and the Republicans really care about security, they should join Democrats in funding Secret Service, TSA, FEMA, CISA, Coast Guard, and the other DHS agencies. The bill is written; the votes are there. They could pass the funding today. There's no excuse. Republicans don't get to block national security funding for 33 days and then blame Democrats for the consequences. How ridiculous. No one's buying that. No one's buying that. Americans want us to keep them safe, not to waste their dollars on Trump's luxury ballroom. It's amazing that they're not even bucking him on that, the absurdity of it.

So, we say, Speaker Johnson, Donald Trump, Republicans: get your act together, protect Americans, and national security is on the line. Pass DHS [funding] now. No more delay.

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