On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) responded to a question on ending the DHS shutdown in the wake of strikes on Iran by stating that “I see protecting the homeland as also protecting the vulnerable immigrants who are running through the fields and factories where they work or the woman who’s been dragged by her hair and thrown into an unmarked van or the allies in Minnesota, a nurse named Pretti and a mom named Good who were publicly executed.”
Co-host Pamela Brown asked, “So you were just talking about how important it is for DHS to protect the homeland. And I wonder what you’d say to Republicans who say, look, given the change in circumstances, given this war in Iran, it is time for Democrats to come together and fully fund DHS so it can do its job, especially in this moment?”
Swalwell answered, “I see protecting the homeland as also protecting the vulnerable immigrants who are running through the fields and factories where they work or the woman who’s been dragged by her hair and thrown into an unmarked van or the allies in Minnesota, a nurse named Pretti and a mom named Good who were publicly executed. And so, if they can put in place reforms that end that, that stop the roving terror, Democrats are with them. But they also have plenty of funding from H.R. 1, the big, brutal bill, to continue to operate. And so, we’re asking for reforms that protect everyone in the community, not just the priorities of going after the most vulnerable.”
Brown then asked, “But not for areas like CISA, which does cybersecurity, and there’s a big concern that part of the Iran retaliation will include cybersecurity. So, why not get together and make sure that the funding is there to protect the homeland, at this point, altogether?”
Swalwell answered, “Yeah, Pamela, you raise a good point. And if they were able to separate that funding from ICE and Border Patrol operations, they certainly have our votes. They have the ability to do that. Show us you are serious about protecting the homeland, and let’s have a separate debate on these roving terror operations that they’re doing to our community. They have support from me if they want to do that. And I know a lot of Democrats would go along with that as well.”
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