Lawmakers vent frustration over DHS shutdown as lines grow at nation's airports
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic senators vented their frustrations Wednesday with the lack of progress in funding the Department of Homeland Security, which is resulting in more Americans enduring long lines at airports around the country. It’s a problem that is expected to intensify as the impasse enters its fourth week.
Democrats stressed they were willing to fund some of DHS, but not Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection, without changes in their operations. Republicans made clear that some of the Democratic demands were a non-starter. The result was that each party blocked the other’s proposal for temporarily resolving the standoff during an hourslong debate on the Senate floor.
The stark divide over a shutdown that began on Feb. 14 was acknowledged by members on both sides of the political aisle.
“We are in a negotiation. However, we are not close,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said at one point. “You may think this is some issue that we think we’re going to turn to our political advantage, but I promise you, when we saw Renee Good and Alex Pretti killed, this became an issue that was beyond politics.”
https://apnews.com/article/tsa-airport-wait-time-lines-homeland-security-3f0e4baea245887759de5264372757d3