U.S. Senator Steve Daines spoke with Larry Kudlow on Fox Business on Mar. 18 to address the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown and the confirmation hearing for Senator Markwayne Mullin as DHS Secretary.
The discussion comes as the DHS shutdown enters its 33rd day, affecting operations across the country. Daines said, “It’s nuts, Larry. I call this ‘reindeer games’ up here on Capitol Hill. This is now day 33. The Democrats decided to shut down DHS at a time when our nation needs those kind of resources on the front lines.” He highlighted delays at airports such as Houston due to unpaid Transportation Security Administration agents and expressed concern for their continued service.
Daines criticized Democratic leaders for using the shutdown as a political tool, saying, “We should not allow the Democrats to use a shutdown to put the pain on the American people because they’re making political points after what happened with ICE up in Minneapolis.” He also noted changes made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership following recent incidents and praised ICE agents for their work, stating, “They’ve taken 150,000 dangerous illegals off of our streets already. The death threats against ICE agents are up 8,000 percent from where they were a year ago. They’ve got one of the toughest jobs in America to keep us safe.”
Addressing broader political dynamics, Daines said Democrats “don’t want to solve the problem” and warned that if given power again, “the borders will be wide open again and they would defund ICE.” He added his personal perspective: “As a father and grandfather now of seven, I want my children and grandchildren safe. Thank God for President Trump and his leadership that’s made our nation safer.”
On Senator Mullin’s confirmation hearing for DHS Secretary, Daines described Mullin as “a great patriot” and stated he is confident in Mullin’s ability to lead DHS during challenging times: “He is a man of high integrity, he’s a compassionate father… He’s going to have even bipartisan support.” Daines cited expected support from Senator Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
According to the official website, Daines grew up in Bozeman, Montana; he earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Montana State University; he engages in public service through constituent assistance and Senate committee work; provides services such as help with federal agencies and veterans resources; has received awards from the Congressional Management Foundation for transparency; and represents Montana in the U.S. Senate.
The outcome of Senator Mullin’s nomination will determine future leadership at DHS amid ongoing debates about border security.
