Rep. Malliotakis to Newsmax: GOP Must Unite on Funding

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., urged congressional Republicans to hold the line when it comes to the budget.

She said Monday on Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that the GOP must stick together to pass a funding package to reopen the government and keep the Department of Homeland Security operating.

Malliotakis said President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants Republicans behind the spending bills because it gives negotiators breathing room on a key security issue.

"President Trump has been clear that he wants Republicans to vote for this package because it buys them a little more time, two more weeks, to negotiate on the Homeland Security piece," she said.

She framed the vote as urgent because an extended lapse would hit frontline operations.

"If we don't fund Homeland Security for the next two weeks, that's going to affect everything from our TSA agents to our Coast Guard to counterterrorism to cybersecurity," Malliotakis warned.

She argued the bills are largely unchanged and passing them should not be a tough issue.

"The only change really is that two-week extension for the Homeland Security piece so they can continue the negotiations," she said, adding, "Everything else is the same."

Malliotakis criticized House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, saying Democrats are resisting measures that they previously supported. She noted the legislation moved through the regular process and already cleared the House with bipartisan backing.

"What we passed out of our appropriation committee via regular order and then passed already on the floor with bipartisan support, by the way, now, Hakeem Jeffries wants to play some type of game," she said.

Malliotakis said Jeffries signaled that Democrats will withhold votes even though they backed the bills earlier.

"He's not going to give any Democrat votes for any of these bills even though they previously voted for them," she said.

That reality, she argued, puts the burden squarely on Republicans to deliver the votes needed to reopen the government.

"We will have to do it with Republican votes only," Malliotakis said. "That's why it's imperative that we all stick together, as we should."

Malliotakis also tied the debate to broader security and enforcement concerns, insisting DHS must be able to carry out its mission without political brinkmanship.

She said Americans have already seen the consequences when federal enforcement is constrained under former President Joe Biden.

"What happened subsequent to President Trump not being in office, we saw a horrific migrant crisis of epic proportions where New York City streets were taken over by migrant gangs, by drug traffickers, by all sorts of foreign criminals, and they were being housed in luxury hotel rooms, courtesy of the Democrats," she said.

Pointing to past Democrat rhetoric, Malliotakis said that "they are the party of anti-law enforcement" and "defunding the police."

"They are the party of keeping criminals on our streets to wreak havoc," she said. "That is what the Democratic platform has become. It's as simple as that."

GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!

Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.

You need to watch NEWSMAX today.

Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!

Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now

BEST OFFER:

Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.

Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.

Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!

Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.

Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!