U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown in remarks delivered on the Senate floor. Thune criticized Senate Democrats for what he described as putting political interests ahead of funding key DHS priorities and supporting agency employees.
“It’s another Thursday here in the Senate,” Thune said. “And it should be just another payday for employees at the Department of Homeland Security. But thanks to Democrats’ shutdown, a lot of DHS employees are only receiving a partial paycheck today.”
Thune noted that Republicans would attempt to pass legislation to fund DHS so that employees could receive full pay and the department could operate at full capacity. He expressed skepticism that Democrats would support this measure.
He referenced the impact on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, citing a recent CNN interview with a TSA agent: “‘You’re going to see TSA officers in the food bank lines in a couple of days,’ and he noted that several of his colleagues have taken out payday loans.”
Thune highlighted other affected groups, including civilian Coast Guard workers, FEMA employees, and cybersecurity professionals who are missing pay due to what he called “Democrats’ shutdown.” He added, “Like Democrats’ first shutdown a few months ago, this shutdown is causing a lot of financial stress, uncertainty, and pain for hardworking Americans. It’s also making it harder for those working to keep America safe.”
He drew attention to staffing issues at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, noting less than half its workforce is currently on duty while others have been furloughed. According to Thune, this has resulted in canceled vulnerability checks on infrastructure.
Thune also pointed out that FEMA’s Go system—which allows state and local governments access to awarded funds—is offline during the shutdown. He stated that officials report rapid depletion of disaster relief funds and warned about jeopardized disaster recovery efforts.
Several American cities preparing for upcoming World Cup games are reportedly concerned about security funding being frozen due to the ongoing situation.
“This is the second time in six months that Democrats have subjected thousands of workers to the pain and uncertainty of a government shutdown,” Thune said. He explained there had been a bipartisan agreement earlier in January covering deescalation training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as $20 million allocated for ICE body cameras.
After further negotiations failed to produce an agreement or temporary funding extension beyond two weeks—a limit set by Democrats according to Thune—the current impasse began three weeks ago.
“Federal employees…who have nothing to do – nothing to do – with immigration enforcement” such as FEMA, TSA, and cybersecurity offices are being affected by this standoff, he argued.
“Republicans are at the table – and have been for not for weeks,” Thune continued. “The White House sent a very serious offer to Democrats almost a week ago.” He claimed it was Democratic leadership who appeared uninterested in reaching an agreement: “From where I stand, it’s looking a lot like Democrats just want to keep this alive as a political issue.”
Thune represents South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and serves as Senate Republican Whip. His work includes community outreach initiatives and advocacy on agriculture, energy policy and economic development through legislative efforts as detailed on his official website.
“If public safety ends up suffering as a result of their decision to shut down the Department of Homeland Security? If hardworking Americans have to go without paychecks? Well, apparently that’s just fine with Senate Democrats,” concluded Thune.
