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CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE VOTES TO PREVENT HOMELAND SECURITY SHUTDOWN

March 2, 2015

Jackson Lee: “The fight was worth it because by standing in united opposition to the political games played by House Republicans, Democrats prevented a shutdown of the Homeland Security Department and extracted a commitment to hold a vote on a clean bill fully funding DHS when the House reconvenes next week.”

February 27, 2015

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee released the following statement today in response to the passage by the House of Representatives to extend funding of the Department of Homeland Security for 7-days until Congress returns next week to pass a clean bill fully funding the Department through the remainder of the fiscal year:

"For the past several weeks House Republicans persisted in playing political games and obstructing efforts to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year. Because House Democrats stood united in support of the bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate and supported by the Administration, a shutdown was averted and a commitment extracted to vote next week on a clean bill that fully funds the Department and ensures it has the resources needed to secure the homeland and keep our people safe.

"The fight was worth it because by standing in united opposition to the political games played by House Republicans, Democrats prevented a diminution of DHS's capacity to secure our borders, ports, transportation systems, cybernetworks, and critical infrastructure at a time when the nation and civilized world must confront and defeat the threats posed by ISIS and other extremist groups and organizations seeking to harm our nation and its people.

"The threat posed by ISIS, for example, is real and it is serious. According to FBI Director James Comey, there are open cases looking into individuals who may be related to ISIS/ISIL in every state in the nation.

"It is my hope and expectation that the vote tonight by the House will put an end to any future efforts by House Republicans to place their political interest in appeasing their Tea Party faction ahead of the national interest in securing the homeland."

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Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat representing Houston in the U.S. House of Representatives, is a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary. She is the ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.