| Arlington, VA — Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today reiterated its longstanding opposition to government shutdowns, calling efforts to withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counterproductive, harmful, and irresponsible.
A funding pause at DHS would do nothing to impact ICE operations, but it would harm FEMA, TSA, and other agency personnel who play essential roles in protecting public safety and supporting emergency response efforts.
“Defunding DHS means jeopardizing the safety of Americans and undercutting emergency responders. That is irresponsible and unacceptable. Public safety should never be used as leverage in partisan political fights.” said Managing Director of Americans for Prosperity Kent Strang.
AFP emphasized that while policy disagreements over DHS enforcement should be openly debated, those discussions must not come at the expense of national security.
“If Democrats believe changes are needed in how DHS enforces our laws, we welcome that debate,” Strang continued. “But Americans’ safety and security are a nonnegotiable and should not be used to drive political wedge.”
Rather than engaging in destructive shutdown politics, AFP is calling on Congress to immediately fund DHS and ensure continuity of critical government functions. Supporting the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, legislation aimed at ending the recurring cycle of shutdown threats altogether is one way to prevent shutdowns every time a crisis arises.
“Democrats in Congress must learn to advocate for policy priorities without threatening to bring the country to the brink of crisis,” Strang concluded.
Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites activists in all 50 states behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org
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