Patty Murray: “we are negotiating right now over much- needed reforms for ICE and Border Patrol. The reality, which I think we do all…”

“we are negotiating right now over much- needed reforms for ICE and Border Patrol. The reality, which I think we do all understand is that we are still very far apart; but as negotiations continue, Democrats have tried again and again to give paychecks to TSA and CISA and the Coast Guard and FEMA, Agencies that are doing really important work right now. In fact, we have tried nine times to get those paychecks moving, both a full-year CR, which Republicans have blocked multiple times now, and after those were rejected, targeted efforts such as the repeated attempts we have made to try and pay TSA workers. The only reason these workers are going without pay right now is because Republicans are holding their funding hostage so they can try to give ICE even more money, without including any necessary reforms. That is what the bill Republicans have once again teed up for a vote would do. So Republicans are saying: We will not let you give TSA or other important Agencies a single dollar unless you let us shell out billions of dollars to ICE and Border Patrol, which are already sitting on billions of dollars. Think about how absurd that is. Republicans won't let us give more funding to TSA, which can't pay its employees right now, unless they can give more money to ICE and Border Patrol, even when Republicans know ICE officers are still getting paychecks because Republicans know Border Patrol agents are getting paychecks.”