Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Sunday that the security scare at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner underscores the urgent need for Congress to restore funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down for weeks amid a standoff with Democrats.
Speaking on "Wake Up America Weekend," Steil praised law enforcement for stopping a suspected gunman before he reached the ballroom at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night.
"It's a real reflection on how good the security team is in preventing this threat from going further," Steil said, adding that "we hold a special place in our heart for all law enforcement officers … who reacted to the scene last night."
At the same time, he said the incident highlights the dangers posed by lone actors and the broader political climate.
"We live in a dangerous period of time as we have radicals that are acting … what appears to be in this case is a lone wolf," Steil said.
He also criticized rhetoric he said has escalated tensions, pointing to reports of protesters outside the event.
"It's rhetoric like this on the left that has no place in our political discourse and needs to end," he said.
Steil argued that the episode should serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers returning to Washington.
"At a bare minimum, Congress should pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security when we all return to Washington, D.C., on Monday," he said.
Steil sharply criticized Democrats for blocking funding tied to disagreements over immigration enforcement, noting the standoff has stretched for more than two months.
"The fact that the Democrats have refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security … when we have radical lone wolves acting, as we saw last night, is absolutely unacceptable," Steil said.
He emphasized that DHS funding extends beyond border enforcement, encompassing agencies directly tied to the security response at the dinner.
"[DHS] is not only our men and women of Border Patrol and those protecting us on the front lines from the challenges that we face at the U.S.-Mexico border," he said. "It's also a series of other men and women that are protecting us. Whether or not that's TSA keeping us safe on our flights, or the Secret Service, whose mission is to make sure that the president of the United States is protected.
"There are so many men and women of law enforcement that absolutely deserve our full respect, but they also deserve to be properly funded so that those individuals know that after they go to work, they will also receive a paycheck.
"It's frustrating where the Democrats have been on this. It's time to move forward in Washington."
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