Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, lambasted his Democratic colleagues for blaming Republicans for the partial government shutdown during a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, calling their behavior “disgusting” and “disgraceful.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreno used his allotted time during Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing for the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to focus on the close to 260,000 DHS employees, which includes Transportation Security Administration employees, who have gone without a paycheck for more than a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“260,000 American citizen families who have not received a paycheck in over a month. None of those people are in charge of policy,” Moreno said. “It’s not one of those families that makes policy decisions. For the most part, that’s on the people here. There isn’t a single human being on this dais that has missed a paycheck. Every single one of us has gotten a paycheck the last 30 days and before that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreno argued that the real victims of the government shutdown are DHS employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They’re having to tell their kids they can’t send them to dance recital because they did everything right in life except got a job with the Department of Homeland Security so that a politician can make a 30-second video online to fundraiser for the next election,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That’s disgusting.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weeks ago, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., posted a video on social media vowing to vote against funding DHS until reforms are made to the agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreno then turned his attention toward Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich., accusing him of failing to keep his promise of keeping key agencies funded. But Peters wasn\u2019t paying attention. Moreno called it “incredibly disrespectful” before laying in on Peters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You said you’re going to fund all these agencies,” Moreno said to Peters. “Here’s one that you haven’t funded.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreno showcased a large poster board, which shared how the mission of DHS was being compromised by the government shutdown. At the top of the board was listed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“USCIS is near and dear to my heart,” Moreno said. “That’s how I became a US citizen. We’ve defunded the agency that allows legal immigrants into this country. That is insane. Never hear the Democrats talk about that. 3,300 employees, trying to process legal immigrants. They don\u2019t get a paycheck.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also railed against the defunding of Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration Customs and Enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Are you suggesting that we not fund an organization that tracks transnational organizations?” Moreno rhetorically asked Democrats of ICE funding. “Be specific. When you say you don’t want to fund ICE, I want you to say the words \u2018we do not want to fund 7,000 special agents that are in charge of stopping transnational criminal organizations, drug smugglers, and human traffickers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Markwayne Mullin being sworn in before testifying during a Senate Committee hearing on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreno\u2019s comments during Mullin\u2019s Senate confirmation hearing come a day after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., accused Democratic leadership of holding DHS agencies “hostage” amid negotiations for appropriations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n