Derek Tran: “Madam Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for 66 days, the longest shutdown in history. Yet…”

“Madam Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for 66 days, the longest shutdown in history. Yet, this shutdown is solely the choice of the House majority, my Republican colleagues. Madam Speaker, 1 month ago, the Senate passed a bill that funded TSA agents responsible for security at our airports, the cybersecurity officers who protect us from online threats, the servicemembers in our Coast Guard, and FEMA disaster assistance as we get closer to hurricane and wildfire seasons. This bill will also give us time to continue negotiating much-needed reforms to ICE and border protection. Americans from New York to Minneapolis to L.A. have watched as their neighbors have been wrongly arrested, beaten, and even killed in broad daylight. ICE agents need to be held accountable and focus on deporting violent criminals, not creating terror in our schools, hospitals, or our places of worship. While the Senate continues to make progress, my Republican colleagues have been sitting on their hands, ignoring the fears and suffering of our constituents. How does that even serve the American people? Being stubborn in the face of terror does not serve the American people. It is past time for this body to take action to fund our public safety infrastructure and get back to work for the people.”