Speaker Mike Johnson holds press conference on latest DHS bill

[0:00] any effort to reopen our borders or to stop immigration enforcement. We are [0:05] going to deport dangerous criminal illegal aliens because it is a basic [0:10] function of the government. The Democrats fundamentally disagree. The Senate [0:15] Democrats have hoisted upon this appropriations process their radical [0:20] crazy agenda. We call it crazy because that's what it is. They want to reopen [0:24] the borders and they want to stop the deportation of dangerous criminal [0:29] illegal aliens. We have to do these basic functions of government. We have to fund [0:34] them in order to do them. In the last several days we have recent examples of [0:39] dangerous criminals in this country killing innocent Americans. We had an [0:43] 18-year-old college student in Chicago, a young lady who was shot in the back by a [0:48] dangerous criminal who had been released in that sanctuary city and first [0:51] released at the border under Joe Biden. They opened the border wide for four [0:55] years. Just yesterday or in the last 36 hours or so an 83-year-old man [0:59] pushed onto the subway tracks and run over by a dangerous criminal illegal [1:04] alien. This has to stop. The Republicans are not going to be a party to this. They [1:09] have taken hostage the funding processes of government so that they can impose [1:13] their radical agenda on the American people and we can't have any part of it. [1:16] This gambit that was done last night is a joke. I'm quite convinced that it can't [1:23] be that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill and I'm gonna I'm [1:27] gonna just read you one excerpt of it because [1:29] it's pretty alarming and it says everything that you need to know in [1:32] section four. This is on page two of the bill. This is this is an actual it's an [1:37] actual copy of the bill that that excerpt. It says quote the contents [1:42] printed under the headings of this bill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [1:47] and Border Security Operations under the heading of U.S. Customs and Border [1:52] Patrol and Protection shall have no force or effect for purposes of this act [1:57] and amounts specified in the final bill [2:01] under the subheading border security operations and under the heading U.S. [2:05] Customs and Border Protection and under the headings of U.S. Immigration and [2:09] Customs Enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security shall be zero. We're [2:17] not doing that and it is unconscionable to me that the Democrats would force [2:21] some sort of negotiation at three o'clock in the morning and try to hoist [2:25] this among upon the American people and then get on their jets and go home for [2:28] their holiday and and pretend and think that we're gonna go along with that. So [2:33] we're gonna do something different. We're gonna do the responsible thing. [2:35] Republicans are gonna continue to govern and do the right thing morally, [2:39] litically, legally and politically. We are going to take care of those who take [2:44] care of us. The employees and the Department of Homeland Security have [2:49] gone without funding and without paychecks for 42 days. It's the second [2:53] longest shutdown in U.S. history, bested only by the longest shutdown in U.S. [2:58] history that these same radical Democrats hoisted upon the government in the fall [3:02] of last year. [3:04] They've gone without pay. We've had, by some estimates, close to 500 TSA agents [3:09] who have resigned from their jobs and who could blame them. They've gone half [3:12] the fiscal year without a regular paycheck. We can't ask that of anyone and [3:16] the lines around the the airlines and at the airports have been wrapped around [3:20] the buildings because of all this turmoil. We are very grateful to have a [3:24] strong Commander-in-Chief in the White House who has taken real leadership. [3:27] President Trump has already ordered by executive order that TSA agents will be [3:32] paid and those those that machinery is in [3:35] service right now. The Office of Management and Budget is working through that to make sure that [3:38] that happens and we will reduce the lines and the weights at the airlines. We'll make sure that those [3:43] who are protecting us are paid. But what we are going to present and what we're going to vote on [3:47] this floor, our Rules Committee is working through this right now, we're going to put a clean, simple, [3:52] continuing resolution that will go until May 22nd, it's just a number of weeks, to allow for all those [3:58] who sacrificially serve the country and protect other Americans, all these agencies, 10 agencies [4:05] of security, will continue at their current funding levels to make sure that they are protected. [4:09] We're going to send that over to the Senate and we hope that they'll accept that. They can do it [4:14] in record time just like that with the unanimous consent. They could do that as early as Monday. [4:18] In the meantime, TSA will be paid. We will have done our jobs and we will protect the [4:23] homeland because that is the most basic responsibility of the Congress, is to protect [4:29] the American people. We're not playing political games on this. We encourage some of our Democrats, [4:33] hopefully we'll have some of our Democrats in the House, [4:35] we'll go along with this and stop the pain that's being forced upon these people. The reason that we [4:41] can't accept this ridiculousness, okay, is because we're not going to risk not funding the agencies [4:48] that keep the American people safe. The Department of Homeland Security is the third largest [4:51] department in the federal government. It has 10 agencies beneath it. It's not just TSA, it's also [4:55] FEMA, the Coast Guard, all these agencies that keep us safe. We must fund them. This is not a game. [5:00] Republicans will do the responsible and honorable thing and Democrats will continue to play politics. [5:06] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You and John Thune are not on the same page. You came out and criticized Democrats. [5:12] He was the engineer behind this. Why are you guys not on the same page? And are you not extending [5:17] the shutdown? If you were to accept what the Senate had passed, this could end tonight and [5:21] the TSA lines would shrink. I wouldn't call John Thune the engineer of this. Chuck Schumer and the [5:27] Democrats in the Senate have forced this upon the Senate. I have to protect the House? Let me answer [5:35] the question, Chad. [5:36] I have to protect the House and I have to protect the American people. That's our responsibility. Our [5:40] colleagues on this side understand this is not a game. We are not playing their games. These people [5:44] want open borders and they want criminal illegal aliens in the country. They do not want to enforce [5:49] the law. They want to literally defund. You just read it in the bill here. They want to give zero [5:54] dollars to enforcing federal immigration laws and keeping the border secure. That was the biggest [5:59] issue in the election of 2024, the wide open border that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hoisted upon the [6:06] president. Two billion, by some estimates, 20 million dangerous, criminal illegal aliens included in [6:11] that number came over the border. We have terrorists in our country, we have obviously murderers. They're [6:16] putting it on display. In these big blue cities that have sanctuary city policies, they're releasing [6:20] these people onto the streets. They released them over the border when they came over under the Biden [6:24] years. And that is the turmoil that we're facing right now, the very serious threats to the homeland [6:29] and everybody. It's not just long lines at the airport. It is the danger and safety of everyone. [6:33] Speaker, can we have a second? [6:34] We'll talk more after this is finished. [6:36] Mr. I spoke to the President a few moments ago. [6:43] He understands exactly what we're doing and why, and he supports it. [6:47] Yes. [6:48] Mr. Thank you. [6:49] The American people are just sick and tired of every one of you, both Republicans [6:52] and Democrats, come to this podium and blame the other side. [6:55] People have been standing in lines three, four, five hours at a time. [6:59] There are TSA workers that are selling their plasma. [7:01] At what point is a leader on either side going to stand up and say, we have a path forward? [7:06] That everyone will agree to it. [7:08] This vote today will extend the shutdown under any circumstances. [7:11] Mr. No, it won't. [7:12] No, it won't. [7:13] Thank you. [7:14] Let me answer the question. [7:15] I'm glad you brought it up. [7:16] The House Republicans have now voted that today will be the fourth time to fund the [7:21] Homeland Security. [7:22] This is not party blame game. [7:24] This is a record. [7:25] You can hold up the record. [7:26] Look at the Democrats. [7:27] They're voting over and over. [7:28] Last night, yesterday afternoon, we gave them a chance to fund Homeland Security. [7:31] You know how many House Democrats voted yes? [7:33] Four of them. [7:34] They want to use people as partners. [7:36] They're pawns. [7:37] People are not pawns. [7:38] These are workers who are sacrificially serving the country, many of them without pay, to [7:41] make sure that you and your families are safe. [7:43] And we're done with it. [7:45] This is not a political blame game. [7:47] This is one party doing the job and getting the government funded and another that's using [7:52] people as pawns. [7:53] We're not going to do that. [7:54] Listen, we're going to send it over there, and you can see what they do. [7:56] If this is not you seed and they don't do it, the President has shown leadership. [8:00] He's going to fund TSA agents. [8:01] We'll get that covered. [8:02] But we have the rest of the country to take care of. [8:05] We're not asking them to do anything heroic. [8:07] These aren't partisan games. [8:08] We're not adding bells and whistles to this. [8:10] It is a clean continuation of funding to make sure that the most basic responsibility of [8:15] government is fulfilled. [8:16] And we'll see how that goes and see what happens.