House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he prefers not to split off U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from Department of Homeland Security funding amid the partial government shutdown. Republican Rep. Nick LaLota of New York told CBS News’s The Takeout he agrees: the House has funded DHS twice and should “completely fund the entire department.” LaLota said he spoke with Transportation Security Administration agents at LaGuardia and emphasized that continuing resolutions maintaining status quo funding are a longstanding remedy when Congress can’t reach agreement on specific policy changes.
LaLota criticized Democrats for “moving the goalposts,” saying Republicans have offered concessions — on body cameras and training, restrictions on enforcement near certain locations, and clearer officer identification — only to face further demands. He argued that Democrats’ longstanding opposition to ICE and broader calls for less border enforcement should not be used to block funding for the entire department, including cybersecurity, the Coast Guard and TSA. “Funding the whole darn thing is the right way to move forward,” he said.
On the Senate’s approach to split off ICE funding to win bipartisan support, LaLota said he would “deal with the pitches as they come in,” but expressed frustration that Democrats have pushed for defunding ICE for many years. He said voters rejected “open-border policies” in 2024 and that it is “unfair” for some Senate Democrats to remain stubborn on border enforcement.
LaLota also addressed proposals to attach elements of voting legislation — such as voter ID and measures to ensure only citizens vote, measures associated with the SAVE or SAVE America acts — to border or reconciliation packages. He called those principles broadly popular but questioned whether pairing them with complex border funding is the best path to enact either policy. “Both should get across the finish line,” he said, but warned that combining them could jeopardize passage of both measures.
The New York congressman said he is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and is willing to compromise to end the shutdown. He described visiting TSA agents who had missed paychecks, noting that many are blue-collar workers struggling to make ends meet. He urged Democrats to be explicit about what they want to reopen DHS and reiterated that he is “flexible” and willing to sign a deal that does not deliver everything he wants — so long as the department is fully funded and employees are paid.
LaLota declined to draw firm conclusions about an Air Canada jet crash at LaGuardia that involved an airport fire truck, saying investigators should review the facts. He said initial information indicated staffing and training appeared appropriate and that the National Transportation Safety Board report should guide any judgments. He reiterated that safe airports require adequately funded TSA and DHS operations and again stressed his support for funding the full department to ensure pay and safety across agencies.