Malliotakis Warns GOP: Two-Week DHS Deadline Looms as Democrats Refuse to Vote
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., urged congressional Republicans on Monday to hold firm in the critical budget vote that would reopen federal agencies and maintain Department of Homeland Security operations.
Malliotakis emphasized President Donald Trump’s clear directive for Republicans to support funding legislation, stating it provides an additional two weeks for negotiations on homeland security matters. “President Trump has been clear that he wants Republicans to vote for this package because it buys them a little more time, two more weeks, to negotiate on the Homeland Security piece,” she said.
She warned that failing to fund homeland security operations within the next two weeks would disrupt critical services, including TSA agents, Coast Guard operations, counterterrorism efforts, and cybersecurity initiatives. “If we don’t fund Homeland Security for the next two weeks, that’s going to affect everything from our TSA agents to our Coast Guard to counterterrorism to cybersecurity,” Malliotakis cautioned.
Malliotakis noted that the proposed legislation has undergone minimal changes since passing through the House with bipartisan approval and its own committee. “The only change really is that two-week extension for the Homeland Security piece so they can continue the negotiations,” she explained, adding that Democrats have shifted stance despite prior support.
She criticized House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for signaling reluctance to vote on the bills even after previously endorsing them. “What we passed out of our appropriation committee via regular order and then passed already on the floor with bipartisan support, by the way, now, Hakeem Jeffries wants to play some type of game,” Malliotakis stated.
Malliotakis argued that Republicans alone must deliver the necessary votes to avoid a government shutdown. “We will have to do it with Republican votes only,” she said, stressing the urgency for unity.
The representative linked the issue to broader security concerns, noting consequences under prior Democratic leadership: “What happened subsequent to President Trump not being in office, we saw a horrific migrant crisis of epic proportions where New York City streets were taken over by migrant gangs, by drug traffickers, by all sorts of foreign criminals, and they were being housed in luxury hotel rooms.”
Malliotakis further characterized Democrats as the party responsible for “anti-law enforcement” policies and “defunding the police,” stating, “They are the party of keeping criminals on our streets to wreak havoc.”
