OPINION:
The Democrats continue to hold funding for the Department of Homeland Security hostage.
That in itself is disgraceful and wildly unpopular, but also outrageous is how some in Washington have started discussing ways to save the Democratic Party from itself and give it an escape hatch from its harmful behavior.
The Democrats are upset at any attempt to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the United States at will and are even further irritated at any attempt to send home illegal immigrants (even violent criminals) already inside the U.S. Given these inexplicable, broadly unpopular sentiments, it would at least make some bit of sense if Democrats were to aim their political fire solely at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Instead, the Democrats are filibustering the entire bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, which includes many critical agencies beyond just ICE (such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration).
Think of it this way: Because the Democrats want to keep illegal immigrants in this country, they are filibustering funding for natural disaster recovery, fentanyl interdiction on the high seas and protection for top government officials (despite two assassination attempts on the life of President Trump, as well as attempts on the lives of other high-ranking officials).
Because the Democrats want to keep illegal immigrants in this country, they are filibustering security at airports, which has caused massive delays for the traveling public.
If the Democrats think this is a proper course of action, then they need to own it. Instead, some in Washington have suggested merging the Homeland Security Department appropriations bill with a likely supplemental appropriations bill for military action in Iran and a reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (which expires next month).
Why is this a bad idea? Because it would allow the Democrats to get out from under their unconscionable actions by letting them simultaneously vote for the troops in the theater and foreign intelligence gathering on American soil. It also would allow some Democrats to tell their leftist constituents and donors that they still oppose funding the Homeland Security Department even though they just voted to fund it, arguing that their votes “really” were for the troops and FISA.
We should not throw the Democrats a political lifeline. Instead, we must force them to be fully responsible for the harm they are inflicting on Americans with their reckless actions on homeland security.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune should repeatedly bring up the Homeland Security Department appropriations bill, using a variety of procedural tactics, and force America to plainly see the Democrats using natural disaster recovery, fentanyl interdiction, presidential security and air-travel safety as pawns in their fight to shield illegal immigrants from American law.
In the meantime, Democrats may get demands from enough of their suffering constituents to stop their harmful political shenanigans and proceed to a vote to fund the Homeland Security Department appropriations bill.
Democrats clearly know how to wage a political fight for the things they believe in. Republicans should show that they do too.
• Paul Teller is president of Teller Strategies. He served all four years in the White House of the Trump-Pence administration.
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