Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Thursday that the ongoing partial federal government shutdown is unlikely to last much longer as lawmakers prepare to return to Washington, focusing renewed attention on disputed Department of Homeland Security funding.
The partial shutdown, largely confined to the Department of Homeland Security after lawmakers left town without passing a spending bill, disrupted several agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secret Service, and the Transportation Security Administration, as key funding expired, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection continue operating under prior funding authorizations.
Cloud, a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that he does not expect the partial government shutdown to continue for long.
He said the standoff "doesn't really make any sense," noting that Democrats "say this is over ICE" but "ICE is already funded."
Cloud said, "What's being defunded here is FEMA, [the] Secret Service ... cybersecurity, those kinds of things that are very important to protecting our homeland."
The congressman sharply criticized Democrats for making immigration and related reforms central to the debate, calling the issue a "political football" that has stalled progress and threatened essential homeland security functions.
"They've got no agenda," Cloud said. "They've got no plan for America. And so this is what we're left with."
While acknowledging uncertainty, Cloud said he believes the shutdown lacks staying power once lawmakers return to Washington.
"I don't think it will last too much longer when they get back. It doesn't have too many legs to stand on," he said. "But we'll see. You can never put it past them."
Congress is set to reconvene next week, and lawmakers will face renewed pressure to either fund DHS or risk extending the lapse in funding.
During the interview, Cloud also defended President Donald Trump's broader policy focus amid the shutdown fight, arguing the president's work internationally is tied to domestic economic strength.
"What the president has done on the world stage has always been for the American people and fixing our trade deficit," he said.
The congressman argued that rebuilding domestic manufacturing and investment is central to long-term economic stability.
"This is the right way to build a sound economy that's going to be strong for our kids, for our grandkids, and for today," he said.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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