Ted Cruz unleashes on Dems for ‘risking American lives’ with DHS shutdown
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blasted Democrats on Wednesday for, in his view, dodging attempts to put an end to the funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that...
By Fox News · Fox News
Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas, blasted Democrats on Wednesday for, in his view, dodging attempts to put an end to the funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has stretched past the 40-day mark over disagreements about imposing safeguards on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Cruz argued Democrats would endanger the country by allowing the enduring gridlock to continue. "They are only responsive to their radical open-border base," Cruz said. A compromise to separate out funding and ICE from the rest of DHS looked poised to finally break the stalemate earlier this week, but those talks stalled amid fierce criticism from both sides. JOHNSON TURNS UP HEAT ON SCHUMER AS DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON, AIRPORT DELAYS MOUNT To Cruz, the blame lies squarely with Democrats. Asked if they’re moving the goalposts, Cruz said there’s little doubt in his mind that’s the case. "Of course they are. Chuck Schumer went on Morning Joe and said, "If the Republicans offer to fund everything except [Enforcement and Removal Operations] and ICE, that he will take that deal," Cruz said. "And so, the Republicans came back, President Trump said, ‘We’ll take your deal.’ And [Chuck] Schumer just walked all the Democrats off and said, ‘No, we don't want that deal. We want a shutdown.’" SEN KENNEDY SAYS HE WOULD ACCEPT DEMOCRATS' OFFER TO 'OPEN UP EVERYTHING' BUT ICE Funding for DHS originally lapsed on Feb 14 when Democrats made their support for funding the DHS conditional on 10 operational reforms to ICE. Among other items, Democrats demanded a ban on masks, more stringent warrant requirements for detaining suspects in public and visible identification for the agency’s agents. Following a pair of deadly confrontations between Immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota and civilian protestors, Democrats argue that lawmakers must implement those reforms to ensure public safety. Republicans have balked at those demands, arguing that they would handcuff Trump’s immigration…