Congresswoman McDonald Rivet Statement on New Push for Homeland Security Funding

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) released the following statement after signing a discharge petition to force a vote on a bill that would fund Department of Homeland Security (DHS) services like TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard at levels negotiated in a bipartisan manner, while the White House and Congressional leaders finalize negotiations on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms. A “discharge petition” is a tool used to force a vote on a piece of legislation despite the objections of the Speaker of the House and their allies.

“The political games in Washington around DHS funding aren’t helping people or making our communities safe. Right now, we need to fund critical work at places like the TSA, Coast Guard, emergency disaster relief, and anti-terrorism and anti-trafficking task forces. There’s no reason that can’t happen while we finish negotiations on important reforms to ICE. This is common sense, and the Speaker needs to call a vote on our bill today.”