Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) blasted Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for leaving Washington, D.C., as House Republicans resurrect their calls for the SAVE America Act to be attached to plans to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
“Looks like Leader John Thune is on his way out of town with his private escort, as the SAVE America Act gets left behind. This is very disappointing,” Fine said. “I am willing to stay in Washington as long as it takes to get the job done.”
HOUSE SCRAMBLES TO FUND DHS AS REBELS REVIVE SAVE AMERICA ACT DEMANDS
The Florida congressman posted a video of Thune seemingly being escorted through Reagan National Airport on Friday, hours after voting to fund DHS without appropriations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement or border security operations.
The video of Thune circulating on social media comes as congressional conservatives and the House Freedom Caucus criticized the Senate for the deal made early Friday, while calling for the inclusion of ICE and Customs and Border Protection funding in the DHS package and the SAVE America Act.
As the DHS shutdown drags into its 41st day and seventh weekend, U.S. airports have seen hours-long security lines as Transportation Security Administration workers miss their paychecks and call out of work. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that he would sign an executive order to pay TSA workers as the shutdown drags on.
Thune is the latest senator to get dragged on social media for flying home for Easter recess, as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) took heat when a video of her in National Airport circulated on Thursday evening.
In October, however, during the last government shutdown, the Senate was in session for most of the impasse, holding multiple weekend votes, while the House was on recess for several weeks.
“The easiest path forward for ending this DHS shutdown is for the House to pass the Senate-passed bill,” a GOP aide told the Washington Examiner.
DEMOCRATS SAY REPUBLICANS ‘CAVED’ ON DHS DEAL DESPITE NO IMMIGRATION POLICY REFORM WINS
Thune celebrated the Senate deal on social media Friday, arguing that Democrats “have once again established themselves as the ‘Open Borders, Defund the Police’ party heading into an election.”
“ICE and CBP are funded, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts and the foresight of President Trump and Republicans in Congress,” Thune wrote on X. “After holding DHS and the American people hostage for over 40 days, Dems got ZERO restrictions that would prevent ICE and CBP agents from doing their jobs safely.”
