Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she will not support House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to move forward with a short-term continuing resolution, and urged the House to take up the Senate-approved bill that passed unanimously.
She argued the Senate bill would protect funding for TSA, the Coast Guard and FEMA, and restore nonprofit security grants that are vital amid a rise in antisemitic attacks — noting the recent attack at Temple Israel as an example. Wasserman Schultz said TSA could have been paid weeks ago and blamed Republicans for creating and then “bear hugging” the shutdown.
On immigration enforcement, she said the Senate bill makes it possible to set aside ICE and CBP funding — which she pointed out were already increased last year — while pushing for reforms. She said Democrats want ICE and CBP to operate like normal law-enforcement agencies that respect people’s rights, and cited progress Democrats have made: Kristi Noem’s removal, ICE being pulled out of Minneapolis and commitments from the new Homeland Security secretary to use judicial warrants. She said these changes occurred because the public was “stunned and appalled” by aggressive enforcement tactics.
Wasserman Schultz described recent enforcement in her district area: she said ICE has been stopping lawn trucks and detaining people based on appearance or accent rather than criminal behavior, and criticized mass deportation plans she attributes to Donald Trump and some Republicans. She said reforms are needed to ensure fairness while keeping critical homeland security functions funded.
She also disputed arguments that the chance for reforms has passed, saying Democrats must continue to fight to prevent ICE from “running roughshod over people’s rights.” She noted specific priorities: fully funding TSA agents, the Coast Guard and FEMA, and ensuring nonprofit security grants remain in place.
On the ethics case involving Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — whom the House Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory panel found guilty on dozens of charges related to pandemic relief funds used to boost a campaign — Wasserman Schultz said she would wait to see the full Ethics Committee report and recommendations before commenting on whether Cherfilus-McCormick should resign.
Wasserman Schultz urged the House to take up the Senate’s bipartisan bill to avoid the shutdown and to provide a vehicle for negotiating the enforcement reforms Democrats seek, while holding the GOP accountable for creating the crisis.