Sen. Van Hollen says Democrats are 'not holding up' DHS funding

Key Points:

• Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen clarified that Democrats are not blocking all funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and have repeatedly supported funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
• Democrats have withheld full DHS funding to demand reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, resulting in missed TSA paychecks and long airport lines.
• The Senate passed a bipartisan bill to fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard while excluding ICE funding pending reforms, but House Republicans declined to vote on it and instead passed a bill to fully fund DHS.
• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise criticized the Senate bill, claiming it defunds 25% of DHS operations during a heightened threat level, and suggested some senators regret their votes.
• Van Hollen rejected the White House’s partial agreement to ICE reforms, insisting on an independent investigation into ICE practices, which he believes the agency itself cannot credibly conduct.