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Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last weekend, I flew through Philadelphia International Airport where three security checkpoints are now closed.
The lines were long, yet our dedicated TSA officers moved us through security with speed, efficiency, and professionalism.
They are doing the work, keeping us safe, even though it has been more than a month since they have been paid. The only reason their paychecks have stopped is because Republicans in Congress, led by the Speaker of the House, refused to act.
The Speaker could have held a vote today or a month ago to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and our cybersecurity folks, all the parts of the Department of Homeland Security that are untainted by ICE's cruelty and corruption.
Republicans are refusing to pay Federal workers. Withholding paychecks from dedicated public servants does not make America safer. It makes us more vulnerable in our neighborhoods, our airports, and overseas.
Mr. Speaker, listen to Americans. Hold ICE accountable and fund TSA now.
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