Walking His Own Path

On Sunday, The Daily Signal posted an article about a recent statement by Senator John Fetterman. If someone had told me when Senator Fetterman was elected that he would be the only reasonable Democrat in the Senate, I would have thought they were crazy, but here we are.

The article reports:

Democrat Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman criticized his party Saturday over the ongoing partial government shutdown and its impacts on federal employees and operations.

Multiple agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are being subjected to “emergency measures” due to the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to a release by DHS.

Fetterman said he spoke with TSA agents during his frequent travels about the effects of the shutdown.

“I am the only Democrat that has refused to vote in shutting down DHS, literally the only one,” Fetterman said during Saturday’s episode of “The Big Weekend Show.” “And now all agree that this would not have any impact on ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. They already have their funding, and it doesn’t push or force ICE to do any of those kinds of reforms that people think are necessary now, too.”

“Why would you want to punish all of these workers that are under DHS? The only thing that it can do is just make us less safe, and that also makes people have to go without getting paid,” Fetterman continued. “I’m at the airport virtually every week of the year, and I ask all those TSA agents, and I said, ‘Hey, do you like not to get paid for your work?’ I haven’t met one saying, ‘No, it’s no problem.’”

This shutdown makes no sense unless the Democrats believe that illegal votes combined with their extreme left wing are the only way they can win the midterms. Aside from the inconvenience to Americans who travel, there is a serious risk to shutting down the Department of Homeland Security during a war. I don’t believe the majority of Americans support this shutdown.

Unless the number of illegal voters in the midterm elections is enough to swing the election, the shutdown makes no sense.

Trying To Protect Americans

On Thursday, The Epoch Times reported that the U.S. House of Representatives had passed a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by a vote of 221–209. Four Democrats joined all Republicans in voting for it.

The article reports:

The vote came just hours after Senate Democrats again blocked a vote on legislation to fund the DHS, extending the shutdown of the agency.

The tally was 51–45.

A March 5 procedural vote to advance a full-year DHS spending bill failed to reach the 60-vote threshold it needed to move forward. A previous attempt was blocked on Feb. 24, although it garnered the support of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
The votes came as President Donald Trump announced on March 5 that he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). Noem is set to fill a newly created position called special envoy for the shield of the Americas. The president released the news shortly before the vote concluded.

This is not the time to shut down the DHS. We had four years of open borders under President Biden, and we have no idea who is in the country or why. This is the time for a more robust DHS.

The article reports:

The shutdown affects only part of the DHS because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection are funded through 2029 under Trump’s sweeping reconciliation package passed in 2025. Congress has approved the remaining 11 appropriations bills, funding roughly 96 percent of the federal government.

Agencies affected include the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Coast Guard.

According to figures released by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), roughly 120,000 DHS employees are currently working without pay. About 95 percent of TSA employees are working without pay during the shutdown, while roughly two-thirds of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s workforce has been furloughed.

The bill would provide $5.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an $873 million increase over fiscal year 2025 levels, excluding $26.37 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund.

It allocates $3.25 billion to the Secret Service, including $44 million for security planning related to major upcoming events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, America250 celebrations, and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

The legislation would also provide $7.96 billion for the TSA, including $300 million for checkpoint screening systems, funding for exit-lane staffing, law enforcement officer and canine reimbursement programs, and $13.9 million to reimburse airports for installing explosive detection systems.

All Congressmen and Representatives should have their salaries docked any time any part of the government is shut down. Shutting down domestic security at a time when the country is at war should be regarded as treason.