Rep. Greg Murphy to Newsmax: Keep Govt Funded While Debating ICE

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., a member of the House Ways and Means and Veterans Affairs committees, urged lawmakers on Monday to "keep our government funded."

He said that despite deepening disputes over funding the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Congress should avert a partial government shutdown.

The House is operating with a narrow Republican majority as lawmakers remain deadlocked over DHS funding after broader government appropriations lapsed, forcing dozens of federal agencies into partial shutdown status and furloughing employees.

The Senate was unable to advance a full funding package this week, with disputes over DHS and ICE enforcement policies blocking an agreement.

"I absolutely think there's time to pull back and reassess what has been done in Minnesota, but we need to keep our government funded," Murphy said in an interview on Newsmax's "National Report" on Monday.

He said protests in Minneapolis, following deadly shootings by federal agents, have amplified calls from Democrats for stricter oversight of ICE and other enforcement agencies.

Murphy's comments come as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled confidence that the House could approve most funding bills by Tuesday, even as DHS remains a flashpoint in negotiations. Johnson is planning to push forward with a procedural path that would allow passage with only Republican support.

"It's a protest vote against what the ICE agents are doing now," Murphy said of Democrat opposition to the current funding measure.

"Whether this is all just to kind of obscure all the nonsense with fraud which has happened in Minnesota, who knows?" He added. "This is only happened in Minnesota now — obviously it's spreading because that's what we're seeing ever since President Donald Trump came into office: protest, protest."

Democrats and some Republicans have criticized ICE and other DHS components following public outrage over recent enforcement actions and shootings in Minneapolis and other cities, demanding reforms including requiring agents to wear identification and curbing certain tactics.

Senate Democrats have sought changes in exchange for funding, complicating the bipartisan path forward.

Murphy stressed the urgency of broader government funding, saying, "Let's get on with moving the government ... let's keep our nation safe and let's keep moving forward."

He referenced statements from Democrat leaders suggesting support for the funding measure but noted uncertainty about whether they will follow through.

On the narrow GOP majority in the House — now down to a one-vote margin due to recent changes in membership — Murphy acknowledged the challenge.

"This is as thin as it, in my understanding, thin as it's ever gotten," he said, noting GOP vulnerabilities if any member breaks ranks on key votes.

Murphy also added that some Republican colleagues "vote against anything on the Republican side," making unity critical to pass funding.

While negotiations over DHS and ICE funding continue, Murphy insisted they should not hold up funding for the military and other core government functions.

"If it takes time that we have some discussions about DHS and ICE, etc., that's fine," he said. "But let's keep our military funded. Let's keep everything else funded."

The standoff has already triggered a partial shutdown that began Saturday as federal funding lapsed for multiple departments, with lawmakers racing to avert prolonged disruptions.

Speaker Johnson has said he expects movement on funding this week and that the House will take up the Senate-approved package, which temporarily extends DHS funding through Feb. 13 to allow time for further negotiations.

Murphy's remarks underscore broader Republican efforts to balance internal party divisions, bipartisan negotiations, and pressure from public backlash over immigration enforcement as Capitol Hill works to restore full government funding.

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