It is "completely unacceptable" that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is allowing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to hold the U.S. "hostage" when it comes to fully funding the Department of Homeland Security, Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Wednesday.
Appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," Steube sharply criticized the ongoing Senate gridlock, arguing that Republican priorities on border security are being stalled despite clear voter support and repeated action from the House.
"If Thune's still unwilling to nuke the filibuster in the Senate, then he's got to get 60 votes over there, which means Chuck Schumer has got to be part of the negotiations," Steube said.
"And I just view that as completely unacceptable."
Steube pointed out that House Republicans have already passed DHS funding legislation four times, including a recent continuing resolution (CR) aimed at keeping all DHS agencies operational.
He noted that the measure even garnered limited bipartisan backing before being sent to the Senate.
"We sent a clean CR specifically just renewing funding for DHS, all of the agencies that fall under DHS, and sent it back to the Senate, because we don't think it's appropriate to defund CBP [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and have open borders," Steube said.
"That's not something that the House Republicans support."
The Florida lawmaker emphasized that Republicans were elected with a mandate to secure the southern border and reverse policies from the Biden administration, which he and other GOP members have long blamed for record illegal immigration.
"The American people elected a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican White House," Steube said. "They don't understand why Thune has to go to Chuck Schumer to pass any bills."
While critics have suggested GOP divisions are contributing to the impasse, Steube dismissed those claims, describing House Republican unity as "rock solid."
"Every single Republican on that CR voted for it," he said. "Leadership has done a really good job of keeping everybody together on the core principles of what we stand for."
Steube instead placed responsibility on Senate dynamics, arguing that the filibuster and a lack of support from moderate Republicans have allowed Democrats to exert outsized influence over critical funding decisions.
"This is a basic function of the government and of Congress is to fund our federal agencies, and they can't even accomplish that because the country is being held hostage by Chuck Schumer," he said.
Beyond the funding standoff, Steube also addressed rising tensions in the Middle East, where President Donald Trump is expected to outline next steps in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
As an Army veteran and member of the House Intelligence Committee, Steube said Republicans would likely support limited, targeted military action — such as securing key strategic points like the Strait of Hormuz — but would be wary of a broader invasion.
"If you go in and invade the whole country of Iran, I think there's going to be a lot of conservative Republicans that are going to have challenges with that," he said.
Steube suggested Trump's Wednesday night address could either signal that U.S. objectives have been achieved or lay out a narrowly focused mission to protect global shipping lanes and U.S. interests.
As negotiations remain stalled, Steube made clear that House Republicans will continue pressing for full DHS funding and for Senate leadership to act without what he described as unnecessary reliance on Democrat approval.
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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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