Rep. Johnson Votes to Stop Homeland Security Shutdown, Protect 5,200 DHS Employees in Georgia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA04) took steps to stop the Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, voting to have the House consider a clean funding bill that could be signed into law before the critical agency is forced to shut down on February 28. A shutdown would furlough or deny pay to more than 210,000 law enforcement officials, disaster response officials, and many other DHS personnel nationwide -- including more than 5,200 in Georgia.

This is the third time House Democrats have moved for a vote to end Republicans’ manufactured crisis, and the third time House Republicans have blocked action.

“The Department of Homeland Security will be forced to shut down in three days. Despite dire warnings from Members of their own Party, House Republicans voted to block a clean funding bill that could keep our communities safe,” Rep. Johnson said. “Our national security is too important and the world is far too dangerous for the Republican Congress to play these irresponsible, reckless games. The people of Georgia deserve better. With this vote, House Republicans had a chance to send a clean DHS funding bill to the Senate and on to the President. Instead, they chose to keep gambling with America’s homeland security.”

The Senate has voted four times to reject the House Republicans’ radical, anti-immigrant bill and Senate Republican leaders have told House Republicans they must act to end this crisis. With every House Democrat co-sponsoring clean legislation to fund the DHS, including Rep. Johnson, it is clear that there are sufficient votes to pass this legislation now. However, House Republicans have unanimously voted for the third time to block consideration of a clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Without action in the next two days, the bulk of DHS’s management and support of the homeland security infrastructure that was built following the 9/11 terrorist attacks would be shuttered. Law enforcement officials, border patrol agents, disaster response officials, counterterrorism experts and other DHS personnel that help keep our nation safe would either be furloughed or required to work without pay.

Consequences of a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security include: closing the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which would no longer alert and coordinate with local law enforcement agencies, and withholding the Securing the Cities grants that pay for critical nuclear detection capabilities in cities across the country; halting Research and Development work on countermeasures to devastating biological threats, on nuclear detection equipment, and on cargo and passenger screening technologies; crippling FEMA’s preparations for future disasters, furloughing 22 percent of FEMA personnel; and ending FEMA training activities with local law enforcement for Weapons of Mass Destruction events.

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