NEWARK, NJ –U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today held a press conference outside a TSA checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport to discuss the importance of fully funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Without Congressional action, funding for DHS will stop on February 27, effectively shutting down the federal agency tasked with keeping our homeland safe.

In protest to President Obama’s recent executive action on immigration, Republicans in Congress are threatening to defund and shutdown DHS, putting America’s national security at risk. The GOP-controlled House last month passed a DHS spending bill that included a number of anti-immigrant, “poison pill” amendments it knew could not pass in the U.S. Senate and would be instantly vetoed by the President.

“Make no mistake, holding Homeland Security funding hostage is the textbook definition of pure-politics,” said Sen. Menendez. “I call on our Republican colleagues to join us in passing a clean funding bill for Homeland Security so this airport – and every airport – has the funding needed to protect our nation. We must focus on preventing ISIS-trained terrorists from coming back from Syria to do us harm, instead of futilely demonizing deep-rooted families who only want to pursue the American dream. This is not the time to hit a pause button on our efforts to prevent terrorism or build state and local resiliency against future natural disasters.”

“It is absolutely essential we pass a clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill,” said Sen. Booker. “This legislation is too important for partisan politics. We must never play games with the safety of the American people. Simply passing a short-term funding measure would severely impede the agency’s ability to carry out critical security initiatives. For New Jerseyans and for all Americans, Congress must behave like the serious, responsible body it purports to be and pass a DHS funding bill free of politically-charged amendments.”

In New Jersey, critical security operations, including passenger and baggage screenings at Newark Liberty International Airport, container checks at the Ports of Newark and Elizabeth, and Coast Guard patrols on the state’s waterways, would be severely impacted at the end of the month if no DHS budget deal is reached.

Last week, both senators joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter calling on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass a clean bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the fiscal year. In addition, a bipartisan group of former Secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security agreed with Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on the consequences of a Republican homeland security shutdown.

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