House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Thursday on Newsmax, accused congressional Democrats of prolonging a standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security, leaving federal workers unpaid and disrupting travel nationwide.
"You're seeing Democrats who just want chaos to appease the radical base, the [NYC Mayor Zohran] Mamdani wing of their party," the Louisiana Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "They hate [President] Donald Trump, and they want chaos. They don't care if it affects people adversely."
Scalise pointed to ongoing travel disruptions, saying families are being impacted as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents continue working without pay.
"They know that families are waiting for hours at airports, missing flights, not being able to make vacations, funerals, or weddings. They don't care," he said.
The House is expected to vote again on funding DHS, which includes agencies such as TSA and the Coast Guard. Scalise framed the vote as a clear choice.
"It's a very straightforward vote. Do you want to fund the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Coast Guard, all of that? Yes or no? It's two buttons: yes or no," he said, adding that Republicans will support the measure.
Scalise said Democrats have repeatedly opposed similar measures, noting Thursday's vote would mark the eighth attempt.
"Today is going to be the eighth time that Congress will be voting to fund this department. And eight times, Democrats keep voting no. When will they take yes for an answer?" he said.
He also highlighted the financial strain on federal workers, particularly TSA agents.
"You're going to see Democrats voting no to make people go to work, 100,000 of these agents having to go to work without getting paid because Democrats are voting no," Scalise said.
Citing testimony from a recent congressional hearing, Scalise said some TSA workers are facing severe hardship.
"TSA agents are sleeping in their cars because they can't pay rent," he said. "These are people averaging $55,000 a year, not wealthy people, and they've gone 49% of this fiscal year without a paycheck."
Scalise tied the funding dispute to broader immigration and public safety concerns, criticizing Democrats' approach to border enforcement.
"Democrats want lawlessness. They want open borders, and they're defending the criminals who come here illegally and harm Americans. It's insane," he said.
He added that voters can review lawmakers' positions on the funding vote.
"You can go look at it. Call my office if you want to see the vote today and get a list of who voted yes and who voted no," Scalise said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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