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.”
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.
“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.”
‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER
Moreno argued that the real victims of the government shutdown are DHS employees.
“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.
“That’s disgusting.”
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.
CORNYN CLASHES WITH PROGRESSIVE REP GREG CASAR IN HEATED AIRPORT FACE-OFF OVER DHS SHUTDOWN
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’t paying attention. Moreno called it “incredibly disrespectful” before laying in on Peters.
“You said you’re going to fund all these agencies,” Moreno said to Peters. “Here’s one that you haven’t funded.”
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.
“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’t get a paycheck.”
He also railed against the defunding of Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
“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 ‘we do not want to fund 7,000 special agents that are in charge of stopping transnational criminal organizations, drug smugglers, and human traffickers.”
Moreno’s comments during Mullin’s 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.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sen. Peters for comment.
‘How do you sleep at night?’ Moreno slams ‘disgraceful’ shutdown leaving 260,000 workers without pay 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2025 2026-03-18 20:43:40 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
