Shutdown Chaos: Pou Blasts GOP Failures at Homeland Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today participated in a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Harmful Impacts of the DHS Shutdown on Americans, using the event to blast Republicans for holding homeland security funding hostage to force through even more money for ICE agents.

"If my GOP colleagues cared about keeping our country safe, they would sign our discharge petition and force a floor vote on our bill to fund TSA and other DHS offices like FEMA and the Coast Guard immediately," said Congresswoman Pou during the hearing. "The problems we've seen over the last several weeks are not all due to the shutdown. Yet, DHS has launched a misinformation campaign to mask their own failures by blaming it on the shutdown."

Congresswoman Pou has been a top critic in Congress of the dysfunction and corruption endemic to DHS. For months, she called for former Secretary Kristi Noem's removal until Noem was fired this month. Pou also led demands for DHS to release $625 million in security funding being withheld from World Cup U.S. host cities. The embargoed money was finally released last week.

Pou's district will host multiple FIFA World Cup matches, including the championship game. As Special Events Task Force Ranking Member, she has repeatedly warned that ICE enforcement actions and broader security gaps could jeopardize the World Cup's success.

At the hearing, Pou also pressed administration witnesses on other withheld federal money: "FEMA is still delaying funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. And other federal counterterrorism funding is being withheld despite Federal judges repeatedly ordering FEMA to release it. When will these funds be released?"

At an oversight hearing on February 10, in response to a direct question from Congresswoman Pou, the head of ICE refused to rule out immigration enforcement activity at or around World Cup games this summer. Two days later, Pou led a letterwith her Task Force colleagues beseeching the Chairman to call an emergency hearing on ICE's impact on the coming World Cup.

Recently, Congresswoman Pou called on DHS to explain why ICE agents are systematically hiding vehicle license plates to mask their work and identities, introducing the PLATE Act (H.R. 7449), legislation that would forbid ICE agents from manipulating their vehicle license plates.

###