US House speaker blames Democrats as partial shutdown enters sixth week

WASHINGTON

US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday slammed Democrats as a partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stretched into its 40th day.

"We're 40 days into this shutdown, second-longest in history.

"It's partial, but it's a big one, because they shut down the third-largest department of the federal government," Johnson said at a news conference.

The funding lapse, which began Feb. 14 after Congress failed to pass a spending bill, has disrupted multiple agencies under the DHS, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the US Coast Guard. However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have continued to be paid.

The standoff centers on demands by Democratic lawmakers for reforms to immigration enforcement, particularly targeting ICE, following fatal shootings involving federal agents in the state of Minnesota in January.

Democrats have insisted on stronger oversight and tighter limits on immigration enforcement -- including banning the use of masks by ICE officers, requiring body cameras to remain on and mandating visible identification -- as a condition for supporting the funding bill.

Homeland security workers 'hurting'

Johnson said Republicans would not let Democrats use the shutdown to pressure the country into restoring "deadly" open-border policies that could put Americans at risk.

"We will not allow Democrats to hold our airports and our country hostage so they can re-implement their catastrophic, deadly open borders policies and threaten the lives of our children," he said.

Separately, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday that thanks to Senate Democrats, a lot of DHS employees have been working without pay.

"That's shameful," Thune said on the Senate floor.

Homeland security workers are "hurting," he said.

"Travelers are beyond fed up with the disastrous situation at US airports, and we cannot continue to keep this critical department unfunded," Thune added.

The leader said he hopes Democrats will work with the Republicans to finalize an agreement and reopen the department this week.

Republicans 'slowing down negotiation'

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats have been "very clear" from the beginning about ICE reforms.

"If anyone is slowing down negotiation and hurting TSA workers, it's the Republican leadership who did not include one single reform," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Democrats are ready to discuss the issues with Republicans, he said, adding they want to reach a solution.

"TSA hood agents need to be paid. Enough is enough. It's time for Republicans to drill down and work with us to solve this thing. We have asked the Republicans nine times already to support TSA," Schumer said.

Schumer argued that the Republicans said they want their position on ICE met first before they do anything to fund the TSA and pay the workers.