Rep. Fulcher to Newsmax: Senate Must Act on DHS Funding

Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, told Newsmax on Friday that the Department of Homeland Security funding fight is leaving frontline agencies exposed and predicted Republicans will have to use budget reconciliation to push border and immigration funding through the Senate without support from Democrats.

On "Bianca Across the Nation," Fulcher said that "we cannot have [a] DHS that's handcuffed or partially funded protecting our nation" as the partial shutdown of the department stretched into its eighth week and lawmakers remained deadlocked over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

Fulcher argued that House Republicans had already acted repeatedly, and he blamed Senate inaction and Democrats' opposition for the stalemate.

"The House Republicans have passed this thing multiple times over to the Senate, and the Senate has not been able to act," Fulcher said.

The practical impact has gone beyond the immigration agencies at the center of the dispute: The Democrats' opposition has "really impacted" the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fulcher said.

The funding clash has already disrupted airport operations and left TSA workers without regular paychecks, although the administration moved in late March to provide TSA pay through executive action.

DHS has also warned that FEMA's disaster relief capacity is being strained as the lapse drags on.

Fulcher said he expects the issue to return when Congress resumes and predicted Republicans will have to turn to a Senate reconciliation bill.

"So we will have to do what's called the reconciliation process," he said. "That is a Senate-driven process that basically changes the rules, so they only have to get 51 votes instead of 60."

He added: "It's not easy, and it will take a little while."

Fulcher also defended Trump's authority to continue military operations against Iran without immediate new approval from Congress, as Democrats renewed efforts to revive a war powers resolution.

"I understand in an ideal world, Congress would approve all military action and whatnot," Fulcher said. "But look at how we move. Look how slowly we move because of the partisanship. Congress does not act quickly.

"And sometimes with military war powers, you have got to have the authority to move, move quickly, respond quickly."

Fulcher said Trump "needs that flexibility" because "Congress is too slow."

That debate has intensified as Democrats have tried to force votes limiting the president's authority, though similar efforts have failed in Congress.

The war, which began Feb. 28, is approaching the point at which the White House could face sharper pressure under the War Powers Resolution if hostilities continue.

On Iran and energy, Fulcher said that while the U.S. is not directly dependent on oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, Americans are feeling the effects because energy is priced in a global market.

"We're not dependent on that in terms of supply," he said. "However, because it's a worldwide market, the impact on the pricing is there."

He added that U.S. allies should share the burden of securing the waterway.

"We think that's unreasonable," Fulcher said. "Some of our allies need to engage here and help to clear that strait for overall worldwide commerce."

The strait normally carries 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, and the latest crisis has rattled markets as Iran has pushed for toll payments to allow passage.

A fragile ceasefire has raised hopes for reopening the route, but shipping and energy risks remain high.

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