[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S713-S714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, it is the end of February, but it sure
feels like the beginning because it feels like Groundhog Day. We are in
yet another partial government shutdown. We are in it right now.
What is interesting is we just had our last vote of the week, and
this is still not resolved, and Members are all heading back home as if
everything is normal, but it is not. Next week, we will have people who
work for the Department of Homeland Security not get a paycheck because
it is not funded because this body has not resolved this.
Now, I understand my Democratic colleagues want to defund ICE. I get
that. I hear from them over and over again: Let's defund ICE. And their
way of defunding ICE is to be able to cut off funding to this
particular part of our Federal budget.
But I think some of my colleagues have lost track of what this means
to be able to cut off DHS funding. It is not just cutting off ICE. In
fact, ICE is a very small portion of the Department of Homeland
Security. There are about 250,000 total employees across all entities
in the Department of Homeland Security. ICE has 21,000 of that 250,000-
plus. It is a very small group. But they are determined they are going
to defund ICE.
What they are actually defunding is not just ICE. They have also
defunded U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. They have defunded
the U.S. Coast Guard. They have defunded Customs and Border
Protection--those are all the folks that actually handle customs duties
and produce coming across our border. They defunded the Cybersecurity &
Infrastructure Agency. They defunded FEMA, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency. They defunded the Federal law enforcement training
centers. They have defunded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--
that is ICE, what they were targeting. They have also defunded the
Secret Service. TSA--those folks that a lot of Members are going to go
check in with to get on a flight right now--they are not getting a
paycheck next week, although they are still working this week. They
defunded the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
Listen, this is a big deal. We just had a shutdown of 43 days--the
longest in American history. Those TSA agents lost two paychecks during
that time period. There are a lot of Americans who can't miss one and
make it; they missed two.
The TSA agent I walked past a couple of weeks ago caught me as I came
through and said: I feel like my paycheck is bipolar--I never know
whether it is going to be there or not.
All I could say to them was: I am so sorry. We are trying to get this
open.
But my Democratic colleagues are so mad at ICE and so determined that
they don't want enforcement across the country that TSA agents in my
State are not getting a paycheck.
What in the world do the TSA agents in my State have to do with the
rage against ICE? What in the world do the Coast Guard folks have to do
with the rage against ICE? What in the world do the FEMA folks that are
handling emergencies, in preparation for spring storms, and dealing
with wildfires across the country--what do they have to do with their
rage against ICE?
If we want to have an argument about ICE, let's have it, but why are
we cutting off the paychecks of folks that work for FEMA because
somebody is mad at ICE? That makes no sense to me, and it certainly
doesn't make sense to those folks at the airport in my State who work
every single day, who show up way earlier than most Americans actually
wake up and get up. They are already at their spot early that morning
taking care of passengers and making sure everybody is safe. They have
nothing to do with ICE--except now they are not getting a paycheck
because somebody is mad.
We should be able to resolve our differences in this body and not
have other people not get a paycheck because of that. I have worked
literally for years across the aisle and in conversation in this body
to be able to come up with a very simple, straightforward bill that
says: When we get to a moment that we haven't resolved everything in
funding, when we get to that moment, instead of having the government
shut down, everyone would still be paid. We would go to what is called
a continuing resolution automatically. Everyone would still get paid.
The status quo would continue except one thing: We would not leave. We
would be here, the House and the Senate, 7 days a week. We would have
to be in session and keep working until we solve the problem.
Put the pressure on us. Rather than cutting off the paycheck of
somebody who has no ability to be able to make the decision to solve
this, why don't you put the pressure on us, where it should be, to be
able to stay here until it is resolved?
Now, I want to see my family like everybody else does. There are
folks that have all kinds of issues that are happening this weekend.
Some are going on codels. Some are heading overseas. Some are going
home. Some have elections coming up. There are lots of things that are
happening this weekend, and I totally understand everyone wanting to be
able to get to those spots, but we have unfinished business. We should
be here until it is done, and we should hold harmless the folks in
Oklahoma airports who are just getting up every day and going to work
to protect our country and protect travelers. We have to figure this
out.
So we have two issues. One is, let's solve the immediate one right
now. Let's actually get the government back open, and let's actually
get people paid.
My Democratic colleagues have demanded that we have body-worn cameras
on ICE agents. We as Republicans have said: We agree.
In fact, the bill that you are blocking literally has $20 million and
a requirement to have body-worn cameras for law enforcement in the bill
that you are blocking. We agree. Body-worn cameras are helpful for law
enforcement and for the public to tell the complete story of what
actually happened.
My Democratic colleagues have demanded that we get deescalation
training for Federal officers. We as Republicans have said: Yes, we
agree with that as well.
In fact, the bill that you are blocking, that you refuse to even take
up, actually includes money for deescalation training in it. And there
is not some trick in it; it is the actual issue everyone seems to be
addressing right now.
This is about the drama of the moment and trying to be able to prove
that you oppose Trump. OK. We get it. You don't like President Trump.
But what I don't get is, why are the folks that work for the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, why are the folks that work at TSA, why
are the Coast Guard members, why are the folks that handle weapons of
mass destruction, why are the folks that handle cyber security for our
Nation--why are we not paying them while we are having this political
fight?
This may be good political drama, but for the quarter-million Federal
employees that are getting up and going to work without a paycheck this
week, it is not drama; it is a problem that we need to solve.
So let's finish up these negotiations, and let's actually pass a bill
that long term says we will never have another one of these.
I long for the day when I sit with my grandchildren one day and they
say ``Tell me about the time that the government used to shut down when
Congress had arguments,'' and I would say ``Yes, there was a time that
used to happen, but we fixed that, so that doesn't happen anymore.''
Let's solve this. We are supposed to be the adults in the room to be
able to
[[Page S714]]
resolve our differences. Let's figure this out for the sake of all
those folks that are working every day to protect our Nation.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________