Heated Exchange Between Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Cassar Over DHS Funding
On Monday afternoon, a tense discussion erupted between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) concerning funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This incident followed attempts by progressives to disrupt Cornyn’s press conference.
“Why don’t you just tell Democrats to vote to pay these poor people?” Cornyn challenged Casar, specifically mentioning Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers who recently missed a full paycheck due to the ongoing shutdown.
Casar, who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, replied, “Let’s do it.”
“No, you do it,” Cornyn insisted. “I’ve voted many times.”
The confrontation unfolded as the DHS shutdown entered its fifth week and negotiations aimed at resolving the issue showed little progress. Senate Democrats had almost unanimously blocked a Republican proposal to fully fund the agency on Thursday, citing concerns over immigration enforcement spending.
During the press conference, held outside the Austin airport, Cornyn criticized the Democrats’ refusal to provide complete funding for DHS. The airport has been advising travelers to arrive at least two and a half hours early due to a lack of TSA officers.
Cornyn also brought lunch for TSA employees working without pay, a move that drew criticism from Casar. “Instead of bringing them hamburgers, how about you bring them their paychecks?” he said, following a dispute with Whataburger.
However, Casar has consistently opposed a year-round DHS funding bill that would ensure TSA employee salaries through September. Texas Democrats favor a separate funding measure for TSA, excluding any immigration-related functions of DHS. Republicans view this proposal as lacking initiative, maintaining that all DHS employees, including those at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), should be compensated.
There’s a chance House Democrats could initiate a vote this week on funding for the non-immigrant segment of DHS.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that around 300 TSA employees have resigned, with absenteeism significantly increasing since the shutdown commenced. Many TSA workers live paycheck to paycheck, and the long-standing uncertainty has pressured them to seek alternative employment.
“At some point, if they aren’t paid, they’ll have to find ways to support their families, which means they’ll leave TSA,” Cornyn remarked. “That’s really not acceptable.”
While lawmakers’ salaries are guaranteed, some are opting to defer their pay as a show of solidarity with federal workers.
Cornyn also critiqued Cassar for not supporting a year-round DHS funding plan, particularly after a recent shooting incident in Austin. Other communities, including New York City and West Bloomfield, Michigan, have also experienced terrorism-related incidents in the past week.
“What about terrorist attacks like the one we just witnessed?” Cornyn pressed. “Do you want them to continue? They keep us safe. Tell Democrats to vote to fund DHS.”
