Republicans Depart Amid DHS Funding Dispute

Republican lawmakers are vacating Washington, D.C., amidst ongoing tensions with Democrats regarding a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Senate Minority Leader John Thune led fellow Republican senators out of the capital, as debates over the DHS spending bill and the Election Integrity Act intensified. Recently, the Senate passed a funding agreement that didn’t allocate resources for ICE and Border Patrol. However, the House subsequently voted narrowly to support temporary funding for all of DHS, extending through the end of May.

Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to pass the Save America Act, which proposed requirements for proof of citizenship to register to vote, included voter ID measures, and sought to remove non-citizen voters from the rolls.

Thune was spotted exiting D.C. on Friday, where he responded to a Fox News inquiry about whether he felt everything was resolved and if the House would fulfill its responsibilities.

“We’ve made some temporary progress, but there’s still a lot to do,” he remarked.

Florida Republican Rep. Randy Fine openly criticized Thune, stating on social media that it was unfortunate for the leader to leave while crucial issues remained unresolved. He expressed his intention to remain in Washington until the work was completed.

Meanwhile, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham was seen at Disney World in Orlando despite the ongoing DHS funding dispute. Photos surfaced from TMZ showing him at the theme park following his departure from Washington.

Graham, who has previously supported military action in Iran, noted that he had been invited to a lunch in South Florida to discuss potential diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel before heading to Orlando to meet friends. He mentioned voting multiple times in favor of fully funding the government and suggested that any issues lay with the Democrats.

By Monday, Graham was back in South Carolina, though details of his public appearances weren’t available on his official Senate or campaign website.

Additionally, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz was seen boarding a plane out of D.C. amid the shutdown. His spokesperson clarified that he was traveling to speak at CPAC, an event he had been scheduled to participate in for weeks.

On Sunday, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso was also spotted at the airport, engaged on his phone as he prepared to take a flight. While Barrasso’s office was asked for comments regarding the situation, there was no response before the publication deadline.