By Hank Russell
U.S. Congressman Andrew Garbarino called on Senate Democrats to end the shutdown and approve the clean continuing resolution that was passed by the House of Representatives last month. He said the ongoing shutdown is “making our country less safe.”
Late last week, Garbarino was joined by U.S. Senator Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) for a press conference to discuss the shutdown, which is now in its third week. He expressed deep concern for the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement and Coast Guard personnel who continue to report for duty each day to keep our country safe. Despite going without pay, these brave men and women are securing our borders, protecting our skies, and patrolling our waters.
Garbarino thanked President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for continuing to pay its military, homeland security and border patrol officers during the shutdown. As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, fellow Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) asked Trump to continue to pay the military while the government is closed.
“But the shutdown is not just about personnel,” Garbarino said. “It’s[about] undermining our homeland security posture. A lapse in government funding prevents DHS from moving forward with critical new investments that enable us to stay ahead of rapidly evolving threats.” In addition, the shutdown means “new contracts are put on hold and proactive engagements are postponed.”
The shutdown has also affected the local governments’ ability to receive homeland security funding, Garbarino said. “This undermines our preparedness and makes our communities less safe,” he said.
The counter drone authority — which was in the continuing resolution — lapsed, Garbarino said. “Without this in place, agencies may not be able to swiftly take down malicious drones before they threaten U.S. airspace,” he said. “In short, this shutdown is making our country less safe. And I implore Senate Democrats to do the right thing and reopen the gov
On October 21, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer said he and U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-Manhattan) will meet with Trump “any time, any place” for negotiations. But the topic would be healthcare, not security.
“Hakeem and I reached out to the president today and urged him to sit down and negotiate with us to resolve the healthcare crisis, address it and end the Trump shutdown,” Schumer was quoted as saying by Fox News. “He should sit — the things get worse every day for the American people. He should sit down with us, negotiate in a serious way before he goes away.”