U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) called on Democrats to support full funding for the Department of Homeland Security on Mar. 26, highlighting the impact of the ongoing shutdown on Transportation Security Administration agents and travelers.
The senator said that many TSA agents have been working without pay for over a month, with some leaving their jobs and others facing financial hardship. Ernst urged those affected by missed paychecks or flight delays to contact Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, whom she blamed for what she described as delay tactics.
“For 41 days, Democrats have kept the Department of Homeland Security shut down,” Ernst said in her remarks. She cited stories such as an agent in Indiana relying on food pantries and a married couple at Orlando International Airport considering other work due to lost income. “These are just a few of the hardworking folks who this shutdown is hurting.”
Ernst also referenced long wait times at airports and canceled flights during the shutdown period, saying, “While we have been waiting on them to come to their senses, Democrats created the longest wait times in TSA history and also caused 660 cancelled flights.” She emphasized that Republicans had voted multiple times to fund DHS but were blocked by Democratic opposition.
She further raised concerns about national security risks during the shutdown: “After Democrats shut down DHS, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, an American company faced a cyberattack from Iran,” Ernst said. She mentioned recent events involving teens charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS in New York City as examples of increased vulnerability.
Ernst’s office assists Iowans with federal agency matters such as Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, immigration, and military affairs according to the official website: official website. She served over 23 years in the Iowa Army National Guard and was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom according to her official biography. Raised on a family farm in Montgomery County with values centered around hard work and service according to her official biography, Ernst became Iowa’s first woman elected to federal office upon joining Congress according to her official biography.
Looking ahead, Ernst concluded by urging immediate action: “Now, Democrats must join us in doing their jobs and actually fund the rest of DHS to fully protect our homeland.”
