Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) called on House leaders to allow an up-or-down vote on legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year.

“While I’m disappointed we haven’t achieved full-funding yet, I’m glad we have avoided a shutdown that would harm workers and our national security,” DelBene said. “It’s my hope that next week, Congress will come together and pass a clean DHS funding bill that will put an end to this brinksmanship because the Department and nation deserve certainty.”

DHS was excluded from the full-year “cromnibus” deal passed in December. Instead, the agency was funded only through Feb. 27, because Republicans wanted to stop President Obama’s executive actions on immigration once they controlled both the House and Senate.

On Friday, DelBene voted for the continuing resolution to keep DHS funded for one more week, avoiding another government shutdown. DelBene has urged Speaker Boehner to instead allow a vote on a clean DHS funding bill, such as H.R. 861, which she has cosponsored. That measure would fund DHS though fiscal year 2015.

DelBene is cosponsoring the No Homeland Security, No Pay act (H.R. 1032), which withholds pay for members of Congress in the event of a DHS shutdown.

###