House Republicans will need to fund fully the Department of Homeland Security without Democrats who "don't want to do anything to help us," Rep. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., told Newsmax on Thursday.
Appearing on "Wake Up America," McDowell said Republicans may be forced to move forward alone as critical funding for agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and other Homeland Security components hangs in the balance.
"At the very end of the day, we've got to fund the Department of Homeland Security," McDowell said. "This is the Coast Guard, this is the TSA — we cannot let these people go without paychecks, and they're about to run out of money."
His comments come after Senate Republicans advanced a budget framework early Thursday aimed at funding ICE and Border Patrol through a reconciliation process that bypasses Democrat support.
According to Reuters, the plan would allow Republicans to avoid the Senate filibuster and pass the measure with a simple majority, though it faces hurdles in the House and scrutiny from the Senate parliamentarian.
McDowell blamed Democrats for the impasse, arguing they abandoned earlier negotiations for political reasons tied to opposition to President Donald Trump.
"Democrats negotiated this original appropriations bill and then walked away the day before we were going to pass it," he said. "They don't want ICE to be able to function… Republicans are being the adults in the room."
The North Carolina Republican also accused Democrat leadership of refusing to cooperate altogether, saying GOP lawmakers can no longer rely on bipartisan support for even basic government operations.
"If we can't count on Democrats to do very basic functions of the United States government, we're just going to have to do it without them," he added.
The funding fight follows a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that began earlier this year after negotiations broke down over immigration enforcement policies.
Democrats have pushed for new restrictions on federal agents, while Republicans have prioritized strengthening border security and enforcement.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the GOP effort would "ensure that America's borders are secure" while preventing Democrats from defunding key agencies, Reuters reported.
McDowell also defended Trump's foreign policy approach during the interview, praising the president's handling of tensions with Iran and dismissing Democrat criticism as politically motivated.
"They're going to be no on everything," McDowell said. "Even when he might be leading us into world peace.”
As the funding debate heads to the House, divisions within the GOP and unified Democrat opposition could complicate the path forward. McDowell, though, made clear Republicans are prepared to act on their own if necessary.
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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