Senate Democrats are a disgrace. Last Friday, for the fifth time, they voted against funding for the Department of Homeland Security, putting American lives in jeopardy due to political theater.
Historically, departmental bills are not broken apart. Accordingly, with 227,566 employees working without pay – across critical agencies, including ICE, CBP, US Coast Guard, FEMA, Secret Service, TSA, USCIS, and vital directorates, tensions are growing, and patience is thinning.
Democrats, objecting to removal operations by ICE of criminal aliens with deportation orders, administrative warrants, and otherwise deportable, have announced that they will block all funding to punish ICE.
Their aim is to placate the party’s leftwing, projecting sympathy for illegal aliens and asylum seekers whose claims failed or who are deportable for other reasons, with the knock-on effect of encouraging aliens who vote in non-ID states – albeit illegally – to vote for Democrats.
The playbook is now dog-eared, rolled out under many other pretenses. The new twist is that – by denying money to DHS –Senate Democrats now put American lives at risk in seven ways.
Not only do Democrats risk tired, unpaid, demoralized ICE officers being unable to apprehend criminal aliens, who include thousands of felons, but they are not endangering American lives in other ways by weakening border protection, rescues at sea, emergency response capacity, protection of senior leadership – including the President and Vice President, slowing and impairing travel nationwide, and diminishing vital intelligence feeds to law enforcement.
The level of recklessness this represents – selfish, adolescent grandstanding to humiliate ICE agents who rise and go to protect citizens daily – is breathtaking. At no time in recent – or even distant – history can a student of congressional dysfunction find an example of a parallel kind.
While short-term shutdowns to resolve funding disputes are common and typically resolved with short-term “continuing resolutions” that allow all federal officials to be paid, this is different.
The United States is at war with a radical Islamic regime, which, objectively, is the world’s top sponsor of terrorism, has nuclear weapon and long-range ballistic missile ambitions, has sworn to destroy US allies and, intermittently, the US, and has likely sleeper cells in the US.
Already, violence on behalf of that Islamic nation has appeared in the US. In many locations, federal and state law enforcement – already undermanned – are on alert, vigilant for violence.
Compounding the risk of forcing agents and others to work unpaid, as weariness and anxiety over meeting expenses grow, the impact on everyday operations, especially at borders, airports, in our littoral waters, and in responding to crises, is growing.
Wo unto these Senate Democrats, who glibly pretend America is safe without their funding, if any major event – in our skies, at our borders, or involving critical missing skills from ICE, CBP, US Coast Guard, or other agencies – happens.
The essential fact is this. These Senate Democrats, and many Democrats in leadership positions around the country, do not put Americans or the safety of US citizens first. They do not put the safety of America before their egos, media coverage, partisan rancor, or illegal aliens.
In the end, this is a moment of profound revelation, or perhaps confirmation, that these increasingly radical Democrat leaders care less about everyday people than themselves. On one hand, they proclaim they care, while on the other, they dishonor their seats.
Enough of this partisan, care-nothing-for-citizens attitude by the elites. The men and women of DHS, ICE agents, and the rest deserve our gratitude, respect, and funding. Fund DHS – now.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!
RBC, how right you are that the Democrat leadership have no respect for American lives in our nation. Their playing of baby games against the current administration is deploring. Unfortunately, the Demos will continue to make the country suffer until they get their way — THEIR CONSOLIDATION OF POLITICAL POWER SO THEY CAN TURN THE NATION INTO A SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST ONE. The voters had better wake up soon and vote out these idiots who don’t give a darn.
Commemoration of 250 years of Independence this year is sure enough appropriate ,and a renewal of the spirit of the Declaration would be even more important considering the war with Iran. It is always appropriate to have a historical perspective on matters . The Barbary Coast pirates who operated out of the countries of North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s were getting away with seizing American merchant ships and holding the American crews for.ransom. Those pirates operating on behalf of the governments.of.Algeria, Tunisia , Libya.referred to the ransom.as payments of tribute . They got away with their crimes until Thomas Jefferson became President and decided to have the U.S .Navy take action in the first Barbary Coast War 1801. to1805 and for a second Barbary Coast war 1815 – 1816. It was stopped after the end of the second war against the Barbary Coast pirates in 1816. Methinks this situation ,this action,this war with Iran is similar in many ways with the barbarian pirates in the Barbary Coast wars. Anyone here in America who is against the idea of maintaining National Defense is disloyal to what America stands for.. I do believe that consideration should be given to having the disloyal, traitors sent.to other countries that would accept them. They would be given adequate time to find another country that they could go to .And it would be appropriate too if they had to pay fines that would amount to about ninety percent of their savings. For putting the security of the United States of America at risk by their disloyalty that would be something that they should think of as lenient .
Democrats are a plague to this once great nation. Bipartisanship no longer exists, it’s their way or no way. Of course they’re against everything American, especially President Trump. The list is endless of how they will lie, cheat and steal from the American people, but these vermin are so entrenched in every walk of life, it will take Donald Trump and more like him to eradicate this disgraced bunch of hypocrites who only serve themselves. This corrupt political party really does stand for evil and goes deeper than we can imagine. I don’t believe they will go down without a fight, because when exposed, they just move on to the next false narrative. Why do I still have to press one for English and who could be against voter integrity? You know the answer.
In the Psalms, David often prayed that the schemes of the wicked that were inflicting persecution on the innocent would be turned back on the wicked themselves. Of course, repentance would be preferable but if not, judgement.
It is truly treasonous how the Dems are treating this whole situation. They are betraying the trust of the American citizens who voted them in. Our national defense is not secure and I feel that they need to have the blinders removed to see how utterly childish they have become. They wouldn’t even stand up to show that they cared about the American citizens at President Trump’s State of the Union! I am appalled at their behaviors since they are still being paid the big bucks. They have become the “playground bullies” taking all and giving nothing back. Shame on the people who would still vote for them. Dems, save face by paying DHS.
The Dems long ago abandoned any semblance of “representing” the interests of their constituents in favor of pushing their agenda. As such, they will ONLY do that which weakens America for their globalist, Neo-Marxist “masters”. Therefore, funding DHS WILL NOT happen, unless Trump succeeds in his 5-level chess match with RINOs, Dems and the Deep State. The SAVE Act is a small part of his strategy. I pray that he is successful.
Thank you Mr. Charles, every word you report is true. Folks we need to pray for our country, and if we still have an honest voice in the democrat party, now is the time for them to speak up.
6th paragraph “…but they are not endangering American lives…” should probably be “…but they are now endangering American lives…”
It makes me furious to think about how great our country would be right now if the evil radical liberals and their boot-licking media weren’t trying to stop everything our president wants to do. On a 10 PM local newscast last night, a reporter was talking to airport passengers about Trump suggesting ICE being put in airports to assist with the crowds trying to fly because of the evil Democrats (Communists). One man actually said it was not a good idea because DHS would end up killing people if an “situation” arose! It is shocking that we have so many stupid people in this country that actually believe all of the lies our disgusting left-wing media put out there. Pray for our country!!!!
What is happened to our government they get paid to help this country instead they allow anyone to come in then they do nothing but fight to keep people in this country from all over the world, they do not care what lives in this country as long as the true citizens here fund them with money and you have the blue states that fight to keep non citizens here they need to be deported but Dems here do not care what lives here as long as we fund them living here. The only message that Dems have is there hatred for President Trump and his cabinet they do nothing for this country and you have what happened in Minnesota that is shameful and no one is arrested for all the fraud Waltz and others should be in prison but they are all above the law. that is just the start nothing but corruption and fraud in our government
DHS held hostage for Amnesty according to Dems
As I have said for years the Democratic Party and their allies are enemies to America and the American people, this is just another way to continue to destroy our country! The Democratic Party are all treasonous and need to pay dearly for their crimes against humanity and oppression against our country!
Only the Democrat party would shut down the department of Homeland security in the middle of a war. You cannot make this stuff up. People are going to whine and vote for more of this until something blows up here in the country from a sleeper cell, after the Democrats let over 12 million illegal immigrants in then they’ll blame that on Donald Trump
The modern day Democrat party is the worst threat to our democracy that this country has ever witnessed. The party’s leadership is so entrenched in the idea that they must appease their radical left base that they have lost all concept of civility and common sense. Blocking funding to pay federal employees who risk their lives everyday to protect all American citizens is treasonous. Sadly, the Democrat party has lost its direction and stands for nothing that is beneficial to our nation. The party has no leaders, only sycophants who kowtow to radicals whose sole intent is to destroy American democracy and replace it with Communism.
Left declared the war on the language , everything must be reclassified and properly labeled, why o they call the party that is intolerant, rigid, thriving on demagoguery, lies and rigidity Democratic, it is everything but, until that is sorted out we will be stuck in the mud above our knees, time to come forward and declare the true colors so everyone knows where we stand . This lying and pretending is getting us nowhere, walking in the circle .Democratic party is long gone, we all know it, time to face the facts of life, time for all the liars to admit it.
The only error in this article is in the second paragraph. ICE and Border Patrol are NOT affected by this hostage situation. A quick Internet search will tell you that these two are fully funded for four years, by the BBB signed into law July 4, 2025. The Border Wall was also funded. Apparently the Democrats are too stupid to know this
I’ve been lining the bottom of my bird cage with pages from the Democratic Play Book for years now.
The Rats will never vote for free and fair elections. They would cease to exist if such a thing ever became enforceable.
It’s the Dems that shouldn’t be paid. They are useless.