Rep. Randy Fine to Newsmax: Shutdown 'for Sure' as Funding Deadline Hits

A federal government shutdown is inevitable as Congress races toward a midnight funding deadline, according to Rep. Randy Fine on Newsmax Friday.

The Florida Republican also accused Democrats of walking away from a prior agreement and prioritizing illegal immigrants over American citizens.

"Look, there's going to be a shutdown for sure for the second time in six months," Fine said Friday on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early," predicting Congress cannot act quickly enough to prevent a lapse in funding.

"The only question now is, is the shutdown two days, two weeks, or two months?"

Fine's comments came as the Senate reached an agreement to advance a major package of federal spending bills that would avert a government shutdown for most agencies beginning Saturday.

The Senate still needs to vote on the measure and then send it to the House.

Fine said the most workable option on the table would fund five of the six remaining appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, while carving out the Department of Homeland Security for a shorter extension.

"This sixth one that funds the Department of Homeland Security, that includes TSA and a bunch of other agencies, that would not be funded except for two weeks," Fine said, adding that lawmakers would then have to negotiate a longer-term agreement.

He blamed Democrats for the brinkmanship, saying Republicans supported provisions they did not like based on assurances Democrats would supply votes to advance the full budget.

"There was a deal," Fine said. "Republicans voted for some things in the appropriations bills that they did not like because Democrats said, 'If you do that, we will provide the extra votes that are needed to pass the entire budget.' And being the dishonorable people they are, they welched on the deal."

Fine also tied the funding fight to immigration enforcement, claiming Democrats would use DHS negotiations to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Democrats want to use that to basically defund the police again," he said. "They call it defund ICE, but it is defund the police."

Fine said he would push back by pressing for tougher steps aimed at jurisdictions that limit cooperation with immigration enforcement.

"If they try that with me, I'm going to say, 'Hey, I want us to defund sanctuary cities. I want us to up the criminal penalties if you interfere with ICE,'" he said.

Asked why Democrats would risk another shutdown after political blowback from the last one, Fine said the party's electoral fortunes depend on illegal immigrants.

"The future of the Democratic Party resides with illegal aliens," Fine said. "That's how they get votes in Congress. That's how they get over-apportioned seats. That's how they win elections."

Fine added, "They have made clear they do not care about you. They care about illegal immigrants first."

During the interview, Fine also promoted legislation he said is designed to deter interference with immigration enforcement operations. He pointed to a bill he introduced in June called the ICE Act.

"The bill is simple," he said. "It says that if you interfere with an ICE officer while they're conducting their duties, you go to jail."

Fine said the measure is intended to prevent confrontations from escalating, citing examples such as spitting on an ICE agent or damaging a government vehicle, as seen in a video released after the shooting death of Minneapolis VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti.

"When we don't crack down on that behavior, it escalates, and it escalates, and it escalates," he said. "You don't have the right to interfere with law enforcement."

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