Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging Republicans To Negotiate In Good Faith To Reopen DHS, Pay TSA Workers, And Rein In ICE

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor urging Republicans to work with Democrats to reopen DHS and pay TSA agents for their hard work, while still reforming ICE with common-sense guardrails. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

This morning, Democrats sent Republicans our counteroffer on legislation to reopen DHS, pay TSA workers, while at the same time reining in ICE with common-sense guardrails.

Our offer is a reasonable, good faith proposal that contains some of the very same asks Democrats have been talking about now for months. Leader Jeffries and I have spoken about this agenda, and he agrees we need these strong reforms.

Now, over the last day, Republicans have made the outrageous and bad faith claim that Democrats are somehow moving the goalposts back in these negotiations. They are saying Democrats changed the ask. They are saying Democrats are backtracking and suddenly introducing new demands at the last minute.

This is nonsense. Nonsense.

Democrats-and the American people-have been very clear from the beginning about what we need in order to move forward.

We have been talking about ICE reforms from day one.

These are not new demands.

These are not surprise demands.

They are not things we came up with yesterday.

They are common-sense reforms, reasonable reforms, reforms that police departments across America follow every day. These are reforms the American people overwhelmingly support, and things Republicans know perfectly well we have been seeking since these negotiations began, since these discussions began as well.

So for Republicans to now act as though Democrats have changed our position, as though we moved the goalposts, is poppycock, bad faith.

And for Republicans to send us a proposal that has no reforms is bad faith as well and will only slow things down.

And they know it's bad faith.

In fact, over the weekend, Democrats had constructive conversations in person with our Republican colleagues. They, the Republican colleagues, conceded that some of the reforms-verbally-that we have been looking for. They said, "These make sense."

We thought there might be a path forward on some of the ways to reform ICE and to get some of the things everybody knows ought to be in federal legislation.

We thought there had been some progress.

Then Republicans sent us their offer yesterday, and it contained none of what we talked about.

None of the reforms we had been discussing.

So if anyone is slowing down negotiation and hurting TSA workers, it is the Republican leadership, who did not include one single reform.

Republicans, frankly, are struggling to get on the same page among themselves. That' probably why they've been so erratic here.

Moderates say one thing, conservatives say another, and Donald Trump is all over the place seemingly without a clue of what's going on. And they're still worried about, afraid of what he might do. That is what this is all about.

So let me say this: we are ready to discuss these issues at a moment's notice with Republicans.

We will not walk away. We are not walking away.

We want to get to a solution.

We have now given Republicans our response. It is a serious offer. And time is of the essence I say to my Republican colleagues. The Easter holiday is coming. Families are going on spring break.

TSA lines are literally stretching out the door of airports. People are exhausted and our TSA agents need to be paid.

Enough is enough. It is time for Republicans to drill down and work with us to solve this thing.

We have asked the Republicans nine times already to support TSA.

We have told Republicans: just support TSA while we settle these disputes with ICE, and they have refused nine times.

They say they want their position on ICE met first, before they do anything to fund TSA and pay our workers.

The way to pay TSA is to vote to send their paychecks now, while we settle the dispute regarding ICE.

We can and must do both-negotiate reforms to ICE but vote to pay our TSA workers now.

That is why today, for the tenth time, tenth time, Democrats will go to the floor so we can pay TSA immediately, as we negotiate ICE.

We hope our Republican colleagues will finally see the light and join us.

Let me say that again: Enough is enough. It is time for Republicans to drill down and work with us to solve this thing.

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