U.S. Senator Steve Daines appeared on Fox Business to express his support for federal law enforcement and to discuss the need to prevent a government shutdown.
Daines highlighted the bipartisan support for a bill passed in the House of Representatives, which he urged the Senate to approve in order to keep the government open before Friday’s midnight deadline. He recounted a conversation with a TSA agent at an airport who was concerned about another possible shutdown, referencing the previous 43-day closure.
“This bill that we want to vote on the U.S. Senate was passed with an overwhelming bipartisan fashion last week. It came to the Senate. It’s our turn now to pass what the House passed, get it on the President’s desk, and keep the government open. We have till Friday at midnight. The American people do not want to see another shutdown. I was going through the airport today flying back from Montana to Washington, D.C. One of the TSA agents said, sir, is there going to be another government shutdown? They’ve been through it once before, 43 days. This is what the Democrats are asking for, another shutdown,” Daines said.
He credited former President Trump and his team for actions taken in Minnesota aimed at de-escalating tensions by sending Tom Homan as Border Czar and making changes in leadership structure after direct outreach between Trump and local officials.
“Look, credit President Trump and credit his team for de-escalating the situation in Minnesota. He sent [Border Czar] Tom Homan in, made changes there in the leadership structure. He reached out personally, President Trump did, to Governor Walz. Tom Homan, the Border Czar, met with Governor Walz today and with the mayor of Minneapolis. They are working to de-escalate it,” Daines stated.
Daines also emphasized ICE’s role: “But think about what ICE does for our country. There are 22,000 agents that show up every day to protect us. They’ve removed 150,000 criminal illegal aliens in our country and deported them. Our nation is much safer because of their actions.”
He noted that threats against agents have increased significantly: “And what are have received in response to that? An 8,000 percent increase in death threats since the year began.”
Addressing criticism faced by federal agents following recent events in Minnesota, Daines said: “Look, they’ve got a tough job. I think we all agree what happened in Minnesota needs to be carefully investigated and reviewed. But let’s not take 22,000 agents that come in every day and do their jobs and throw them under the bus because the Democrats want to shut down the government.”
Discussing funding for federal agencies like FEMA and TSA within recent legislation signed into law last July by President Trump—which included $150 billion allocated for DHS—Daines remarked: “Remember, in the Working Families Tax Cuts bill that we passed, the President signed in July, we allocated $150 billion for DHS. So the part that the Democrats are most angry about is going to get funded… And so as we remember what happened the last time the Democrats shut down the government… These shutdowns begin with a great big bang and they end with a whimper.”
He urged lawmakers not to impose hardship on Americans through another closure: “Let’s not inflict this pain on the American people by shutting down the government… Let’s work this out.”
On negotiations regarding law enforcement tactics amid local opposition from some mayors or governors around immigration enforcement practices Daines added: “It’s a sad fact that you’ve got mayors and governors who are openly opposed to the rule of law… Either the Democrats will take what the House passed…or there will be a shutdown… If you don’t go with Plan A there will be a shutdown on Friday night.”
