Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., on Monday criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for urging House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to reconvene the chamber from recess to address funding for the Department of Homeland Security, calling the move "Democrat propaganda" amid the shutdown.
Speaking on Newsmax TV's "Bianca Across the Nation," Harris blamed Democrats, arguing they are responsible for what he described as a "damaging and dangerous" lapse in government funding.
He contended that the American public understands which party is at fault for the impasse.
"This is just more and more of the Democrat propaganda," Harris said. "They know that the American people know that at the end of the day, they are responsible for this … shutdown that we've seen."
Jeffries has called on Johnson to bring lawmakers back to Washington to pass legislation reopening DHS, which plays a central role in border security, counterterrorism, and disaster response.
Harris, however, dismissed the request as political maneuvering and accused Democrats of failing to support prior funding efforts.
According to Harris, the House previously passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded and sent it to the Senate, but Democrats did not back the measure.
He said the breakdown dates back roughly 10 days to Senate actions that he believes contributed to the current funding lapse.
"The House was there in Washington. We stayed over. We voted and passed another funding bill … and you couldn't get Democrats to support it," Harris said.
"And yet we passed it out of the House and sent it back to the Senate."
Harris also raised national security concerns, pointing to tensions involving Iran as a reason DHS operations should remain fully funded.
He warned that the shutdown could leave America vulnerable.
"At a time when there's international conflict … to think that they are moving to leave our homeland completely vulnerable … is really unacceptable," he said.
He credited President Donald Trump with mitigating some of the impact, citing an executive order that Harris said ensures DHS personnel continue to be paid during the shutdown.
Harris characterized the broader standoff as political "games," expressing frustration with the gridlock and urging a resolution to restore full funding to the agency.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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