Miller Meeks: Washington Gridlock Is Grounding America

WASHINGTON, DC - It is day 40 of the Democrat DHS Shutdown, and in an op-ed published in the Iowa Field Report, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) is calling out the Democrats for putting partisan politics over the American people.

"Delays are piling up. Flights are being canceled. Travel plans are being disrupted for families, business travelers, and communities across the country. But the real story behind the chaos isn’t weather or demand, it’s a failure in Washington to do its most basic job: fund the government," Said Miller-Meeks. "The House has already acted, passing a bipartisan funding bill, twice. But Senate Democrats continue to block it, holding up funding for DHS and, in turn, holding up the American people."

Miller-Meeks pointed out that a Department of Homeland Security shutdown doesn’t hurt politicians. It hurts the people who keep this country running safely every single day.

"TSA agents screening passengers. Air traffic controllers guiding planes through crowded skies. Coast Guard servicemembers protecting our shores. FEMA personnel preparing for disasters. These are the people being asked to show up to work, without pay. Thousands of Americans are working critical national security jobs with no certainty of when their next paycheck will come. That’s not just unfair, it’s unacceptable."

Miller-Meeks then emphasized her votes to keep DHS open while pointing out the real reason Democrats shutdown DHS.

"The House has already acted, passing a bipartisan funding bill, twice. But Senate Democrats continue to block it, holding up funding for DHS and, in turn, holding up the American people. This political fight is centered on immigration enforcement, particularly ICE. But here’s the truth: funding for ICE was already addressed in the Working Families Tax Cuts, Senate Democrats know this. They’ve acknowledged it. Significant compromises have already occurred and Sec. Noem has been replaced. Yet they continue to use DHS funding as leverage in a political standoff designed to appease their base."

Miller-Meeks concluded by calling on the Democrats to end the political games and vote to reopen DHS, and pay the men and women who keep our country safe.

"Policy disagreements are part of the process. But they should be resolved through debate, negotiation, and ultimately at the ballot box, not by forcing hardworking Americans to bear the burden of political gamesmanship. It’s time to end the dysfunction. Fund the Department of Homeland Security. Pay our frontline workers. Get our airports moving again. The American people deserve better than this."

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