Democrats in Washington are playing a dangerous game with the lives of the American people and the security of our nation – they should be ashamed. For well over a month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has suffered severe disruptions in its operational posture because Democrats refuse to work in good faith alongside Republicans to fully fund the agency. It’s disappointing behavior, but far from surprising. Sadly, the American people are bearing the brunt of this egregious delay.

It's important that you understand THE FACTS about how dangerous the Democrats’ stunt really is:

• More than 60,000 TSA officers are currently working without pay, and over 400 have already resigned.
  
• 18,500 essential emergency response staff from FEMA are currently working without pay.
• Nearly 900 staff members at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are currently working without pay.
  
• 7,700 civilian staff of the U.S. Secret Service are currently working without pay.
  
• Over 9,000 Coast Guard civilian personnel – not active Coast Guardsmen – are currently working without pay.

This week, Republicans passed the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, to FULLY FUND DHS – our Democrat colleagues, again, refused to vote to fund the agency because they favor illegal aliens over Americans. This madness, and the misguided obstruction on their part, should be put to an immediate end. At what point will they say that enough is enough? Will it take a large-scale attack on our very soil for them to come to their senses and end their blockade? I sure hope that is not the case…

Our New Letter

This week, I joined my Republican colleagues in the North Carolina delegation in sending a letter to newly sworn-in DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin advocating for an immediate review of pending FEMA funding for Hurricane Helene recovery. We’re certainly looking forward to working with him in the months and years ahead. Here is a short excerpt:

“We strongly support the President's continued commitment to our state and efforts to ensure FEMA operates more efficiently. As part of these efforts, we respectfully ask that you prioritize a comprehensive review of all unallocated FEMA funds designated for Hurricane Helene relief. Identifying and addressing any administrative or procedural bottlenecks will be essential to ensuring that obligated funds reach communities in North Carolina as quickly as possible.”

To read the full letter, click here. 

A Piece of American History

The Battle of Brooklyn was the first significant conflict to take place following the Second Continental Congress’ declaration of independence from Great Britian. In the entirety of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brooklyn is cemented as the largest in terms of troop deployment. 20,000 British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries faced off against George Washington and 12,000 of his soldiers. While there were 1,000 Americans who were killed or captured, British forces failed to capture George Washington and his soldiers who returned seven years later to secure a decisive victory. 

To learn more about the Battle of Brooklyn, click here. 

Quote of The Week

“Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.”

-Jim Rohn

Have a blessed weekend,