Democrats are "hurting the American people" by opposing funding measures tied to homeland security and immigration enforcement, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, told Newsmax on Thursday.
Speaking on Newsmax's "National Report," Miller-Meeks argued that recent legislative efforts already included funding connected to Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the "working families tax cuts," which she said had been passed.
She warned that refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security would have real-world consequences for travelers and disaster response.
"When you look at this package, you know, who are you hurting the most if you don't fund Homeland Security?" she said.
Miller-Meeks argued that refusing to fund Homeland Security would hit frontline workers and travelers immediately.
"So, TSA agents, which have all airline travel, has already been disrupted from this massive snowstorm and ice storm that we have just had, and states are still trying to clean out from that."
She also cited the need for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying it plays a critical role in responding to natural disasters.
"So you have FEMA, which is needed during a natural disaster such as we just had," she said, adding that states were still working to recover from a recent snowstorm and ice storm.
Miller-Meeks said political disagreements should be resolved through elections, not by withholding funding.
"We can handle our disagreements at the ballot box," she said.
She pointed to President Donald Trump's election as evidence that voters want tougher border enforcement, saying Americans were "tired of open borders" and frustrated by rising prices and inflation, which she blamed on "the overspending of the Biden administration."
Miller-Meeks tied her broader border argument to public safety, saying Americans were "facing open borders," and "facing increased crime," including "cartels that had taken over hotels such as Tren de Aragua in Colorado."
"They elected President Trump to enforce our immigration laws," she said, adding that lawmakers should change the laws through Congress if they disagree with current policy.
Miller-Meeks said voters backed tougher enforcement and rejected what she framed as Democratic priorities, saying, "The majority of people agree with secure borders. They agree with supporting our law enforcement and reducing crime."
She then pivoted to program integrity, saying, "I think we're not looking at the fraud in Minnesota and looking at the fraud in California and other areas," and argued Republicans addressed that in the tax measure by working "to reduce fraud, waste and abuse, both in Medicaid and in, you know, SNAP."
She also cited her own legislation, saying, "I have a bill, the Walsh Act welfare abuse," and added that the recent package was designed to curb "fraud, waste and abuse" in safety-net programs.
Miller-Meeks said she would be open to discussing changes involving ICE, but insisted the conversation should remain "respectful" and focused on removing criminal illegal aliens, including violent offenders.
"All of us want those people out," she said.
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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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