DCCC Chair Says GOP Playing ‘Games’ with DHS, After He Votes Against Funding

Representative and DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-NY) attacked Republicans for trying to “play games with homeland security,” after he voted against a resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security on Friday’s “Situation Room” on CNN.

“We’re not trying to make a point, we’re trying to get one full year of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, you cannot budget to protect Americans from terrorists in three-week increments. We told the Republicans every single democrat will vote for a one-year funding bill, just bring it to the floor. It’s not too late. They can bring that to the floor literally, in the next few minutes. They will have every single Democratic vote, and the American people can know that we have a Homeland Security budget that’s not political, that’s clean, and that allows for planning for the next year” he stated.

Israel concluded, “it is a game, but it’s a game the Republicans have played. If it weren’t for their obsession with the presidential executive order on immigration, this bill would have passed. This is the last bill that should be subject to partisanship. They have insisted on trying to nullify an executive order on immigration because they have a disagreement with the president on that. They’re entitled to their disagreements. They’re not entitled to play games with homeland security. I don’t mind them being dumb. I mind them being dangerously dumb.”

Israel’s comments came minutes after he, along with 172 other Democrats, voted against a resolution that would have provided funding for DHS for three weeks.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett