The Hill
By Cristina Marcos
February 10, 2015
Rep.
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), the top Democrat overseeing
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, urged the GOP on
Tuesday to pass a "clean" funding
bill without immigration-related riders.
Roybal-Allard,
the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Homeland Security
Subcommittee, expressed concern that some Republicans have indicated a
temporary DHS shutdown
wouldn't impact security, since most workers would remain on the job,
albeit without pay.
"While
I do not question the prioritization of my colleagues on protecting our
country, I do worry some fail to appreciate fully the negative impact
of inappropriately
using the 2015 DHS appropriations bill as leverage to reverse the
president's executive actions on immigration policy," Roybal-Allard said
on the House floor.
Most
of the employees at agencies like Customs and Border Patrol (CBP),
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA)
are considered "essential" and would, therefore, still be required to
work despite a departmental shutdown.
"Well,
it is true frontline agents and officers like those at CBP, ICE, the
Coast Guard and Secret Service would continue working, they would do so
without being paid,"
Roybal-Allard said.
She suggested that Republicans would face public backlash in the event of a DHS shutdown.
"Is
this fair to expect these dedicated Americans to put their lives on the
line without pay and the ability to care for their families? I think
not. And I believe the
American people would agree on the unfairness of this proposal,"
Roybal-Allard said.
DHS
funding expires on Feb. 27. Both the House and Senate are scheduled to
recess all of the next week for the Presidents' Day holiday and will
only have four days left
to address the issue when they return.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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