WaPo: Ex-DHS secretaries warn Congress not to ‘risk funding for the operations that protect every American’
Even though pressure continues to mount for Republicans to pass a clean DHS funding bill that will keep our communities safe and secure, they are “increasingly unworried” about shutting down DHS. If they think that's a good strategy, they should read the letter sent by three former DHS secretaries who warn that the GOP’s political games could put our national security at risk. From the Washington Post:
“The three former heads of the Department of Homeland Security are warning Congress not to hold up funding for the sprawling department as lawmakers continue fighting over immigration reform.”
“The three former secretaries of homeland security -- two Republicans and one Democrat -- say in a letter obtained by The Washington Post that a prolonged fight could risk national security at a time of sustained threats from terrorist groups. Their message comes as the U.S. Senate is expected to begin debating a DHS spending bill in the coming days.”
“The House passed a new spending bill earlier this month that would fund the department through the end of the fiscal year in September. But the bill also essentially repeals significant changes in immigration made by Obama since the start of his presidency, including instructions to federal immigration officers to focus on deporting criminal illegal immigrants or repeat offenders and his 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the one that grants temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of ‘dreamers.’”
“All 46 members of the Senate Democratic caucus warned McConnell this week that they will not support the House-written spending bill. Citing recent terrorist attacks in Paris and the continued threats of the Islamic State terror group, ‘DHS funding should not be tied to divisive political issues that could jeopardize this critical funding,’ the senators wrote in a letter to McConnell.”
“On Thursday, McConnell and Boehner are expected to receive a similar message -- but this time from Republicans Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff and Democrat Janet Napolitano.”
“‘We do not question your desire to have a larger debate about the nation's immigration laws. However, we cannot emphasize enough that the DHS's responsibilities are much broader than its responsibility to oversee the federal immigration agencies and to protect our borders,’ they write in a copy of the letter obtained by The Washington Post. ‘And funding for the entire agency should not be put in jeopardy by the debate about immigration.’”
“‘It is imperative that we ensure that DHS is ready, willing and able to protect the American people,’ they add. ‘To that end, we urge you not to risk funding for the operations that protect every American and to pass a clean DHS funding bill.’”
If House Republicans won’t listen to us, we hope they’ll listen to former Secretaries Ridge, Chertoff, and Napolitano and put the security of our nation before partisan, political games.