WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned Friday that the department could suffer “serious” consequences if Congress fails to act. pass legislation that funds federal agencies and avoid a government shutdown. The warning was issued Friday night before the House passed a last-minute bridge funding bill with bipartisan support and sent it to the Senate ahead of the deadline.
Mayorkas said in an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the lack of funding will affect many departments within the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), FEMA and Border Patrol.
The Homeland Security secretary added that if lawmakers fail to pass a stopgap spending bill by Saturday, staff from the Office of Countermeasures against Weapons of Mass Destruction will be reassigned to other parts of the department.
“The implications and consequences are severe, especially when it comes to homeland security,” Mayorkas said.
He urged Congress to approve a bill to keep the agency open by midnight, when a short-term extension enacted in September expires.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced earlier this week The bill, negotiated with Democrats, would extend federal funding through March 14, provide more than $100 billion in disaster aid to states affected by extreme weather, and raise salaries for members of Congress. It was planned to be included.
But the proposal quickly encountered pushback from some conservative Republicans who balked at the size and scope of the 1,550-page agreement. Importantly, he also criticized billionaire Elon Musk, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, as well as the president-elect himself.
playing cards and mask Lightning struck the packageMusk slammed the clause against social media platform X, which he owns. The president-elect further upended negotiations over the funding deal, calling on Republicans to: deal with debt limits Their plan is to return on January 1st.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a second measure on Thursday that would provide the government with three months of funding, suspend the country’s borrowing limit until January 2027 and provide $110 billion in disaster relief. The more tailored bill, which President Trump supported, also included health care provisions, a one-year renewal of the Farm Bill, and funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. It went bankrupt in March.
However, the bill failed to pass the House with the necessary support, with most Democrats and more than 30 Republicans opposing it.
The defeat sent Prime Minister Johnson and the Republican leadership back to square one, making a government shutdown more likely as time went on.
Mayorkas told “Face the Nation” that TSA workers at airports across the country would be forced to work without pay if they shut down just before the holidays, when tens of millions of Americans travel. However, as has happened before and since, it is likely that they will receive back pay after the shutdown ends. Past Fund Expiration.
“Tens of thousands of TSA employees will be working an incredibly high volume of passenger traffic at airports across the country, and they will be doing so without pay to protect the safety of the American people,” he said. said.
The Secretary of Homeland Security also said those affected include U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“There are public servants who dedicate their talents and energy to the well-being of the American people and who live off their paychecks. And, after all, it is the holiday season. But we… “If we don’t get funding, our men and women at the border will be guarding our nation’s borders without pay,” Mayorkas said.
The $110 billion in disaster relief likely to be included in the spending agreement also includes funding for FEMA, which is responding to the hurricanes that hit the Southeast this fall.
Mayorkas said Congress’ inaction will impact storm-hit states like North Carolina and Florida.
“Another significant consequence of the failure to provide federal funding is that what FEMA has to do now is it has to delay certain contracts, in fact communities that have been devastated by extreme weather. “We’re going to put a pause on certain projects that are being repaired. It’s going to really slow down the rebuilding of communities and help to people who have been hit hard by tornadoes, hurricanes and fires,” he said. Ta.
Mayorkas said if the government shuts down over the holidays, the Department of Homeland Security “will have to make difficult decisions now to delay projects.”
Lawmakers representing these storm-ravaged states are pushing for disaster relief to be included in any legislation that funds the government.