Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin took aim at Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) Saturday after the lawmaker accused the department of losing its “moral compass.”
Cleaver was one of many House Democrats who voted against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill over concerns about the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. Despite unified Democratic opposition, the measure ultimately became law late last month.
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection still remain unfunded.
Holding a press conference at Kansas City International Airport, Mullin name-dropped Cleaver while blasting the rest of the Democratic Party for prolonging the record-breaking government shutdown.
“I’m going to read you his quote,” Mullin told reporters. “He said, ‘I voted against funding for the Department of Homeland Security because I refuse to endorse an agency that’s lost their moral compass.’ How do we lose our moral compass? We’re simply enforcing the laws that Congress passed.”
“Cleaver needs to understand you’ve lost your moral compass when you’re willing to put the lives of your constituents at risk so you can have political talking points and get reelected,” Mullin said.
The secretary stressed the importance of funding DHS as the nation prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 11 U.S. cities. In Kansas City alone, six games are being held. The competition will last 38 days, from June 11 to July 19.
The Washington Examiner contacted Cleaver’s office for comment in response to Mullin’s remarks.
The partial government shutdown, which directly affected DHS operations, lasted 76 days, beating the previous record set by the funding lapse last fall.
“As the president likes to say these kamikaze Democrats will do anything, anything to destroy our nation as long as they can find a way to get back to power,” Mullin said. “That has to stop.”
MULLIN WARNS OF CHALLENGES WITH DHS RESTART AFTER THOUSANDS QUIT DURING SHUTDOWN
Also present at the press conference, Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) urged his colleagues in Congress to pass the ICE and CBP funding bill through the budget reconciliation process.
“They walked away from a bipartisan agreement that would have kept our law enforcement fully funded and operational,” Alford said. “That reckless decision has left ICE and CBP in limbo at a time when threats against our homeland are on the rise, and believe me, they are. That’s why Congress must act urgently through the budget reconciliation process to deliver multi-year funding for ICE and CBP. We’ve got to make sure that they are funded, and that’s what this reconciliation process is all about.”
