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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, came under fire Monday afternoon over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a progressive lawmaker tried to disrupt the congressman’s news conference.
“Why don’t you tell the Democrats to vote to pay these poor people,” Cornyn told Casar, referring to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers who missed their first paycheck because of Friday’s shutdown.
“Let’s do it,” replied Casar, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
“No, you do,” Cornyn replied. “I voted for it many times.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, engaged in a verbal spat over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday. (KTBC)
SCHIFF, BOOKKEEPER SUCCESSFUL OF CLOSING BETWEEN COPPER THINGS, THOUSANDS OF DHS WORKERS WITHOUT PAYMENT
The shouting match comes as the DHS shutdown entered its fifth week Monday, with talks to end the situation seemingly receding in recent weeks. Senate Democrats nearly unanimously blocked a Republican effort Thursday to fully fund the agency, citing opposition to spending measures that do not include immigration enforcement.
Cornyn, who is challenging Attorney General Ken Paxton, R-Texas, in a tight race for a fifth Senate term, held a news conference outside the Austin airport on Monday to protest Democrats’ refusal to fully fund DHS. The airport is currently advising passengers to arrive at least 2.5 hours before departure due to a shortage of TSA personnel.
Cornyn also brought lunch to TSA employees who reported they would be working without pay — a move that Casar criticized.
“Instead of bringing people burgers, they should bring them their checks,” Casar told reporters as he responded to Whataburger after the dispute.
Casar, however, has repeatedly voted against a full-year DHS bill that would fund TSA employee salaries through the end of September.
The Texas Democrat is instead pushing for an independent measure to fund the TSA while leaving DHS’s law enforcement-related duties unfunded. Republicans characterized that proposal as a nonstarter, saying everyone employed by DHS — including those who work for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — should be paid.
House Democrats are expected to push for a vote as early as this week on legislation that would fund the non-immigration parts of DHS.
Travelers are experiencing flight disruptions and long wait times at airport security checkpoints across the country due to a shortage of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, who are working without pay during the partial government shutdown. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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About 300 TSA officers have resigned and absenteeism has doubled since the shutdown began, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday. The walkout comes after many TSA employees — who usually live paycheck to paycheck — were forced to work without pay during a 45-day shutdown in the fall of 2025.
“Sometimes, if you don’t get paid, people will have to look for ways to support their families, which means they will leave the TSA and look for another job,” Cornyn said on Monday. “And that’s unacceptable.”
Lawmakers are guaranteed a salary under the Constitution, although some members of Congress have waived their salaries in solidarity with federal employees.
Cornyn also praised Casar for refusing to roll back a year’s worth of DHS debt after a terrorist shooting at an Austin bar left the city reeling. The country also saw terror-related attacks in New York City, Norfolk, Va., and West Bloomfield, Mich., in the past week.
Austin police responded to the scene of a terrorist-related shooting on West 6th Street Sunday, where three people were shot and killed before the gunman was killed by authorities. (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
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“What about all the terrorist attacks like we’ve seen down Sixth Street?” Cornyn told Casar. “You want these to continue? These people keep us safe. Tell the Democrats to vote to fund DHS.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Casar’s office for comment.
