Thanks for checking out this web extra.
We didn’t have time to bring you all our panel discussion on 4 the Record.
This part of the conversation turned to the federal government and the partisan battle surrounding the Department of Homeland Security.
(OurQuadCities.com)
We’ve seen a lot of fighting on Capitol Hill in recent weeks regarding the actions of immigration and customs enforcement officials, specifically in Minneapolis. Democrats are calling for changes such as mandatory body cameras for all agents and banning officers from wearing masks. Now it’s a fight for funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, but also FEMA, the TSA, the Secret Service and the Coast Guard.
We’re talking Thursday afternoon with the deadline to avoid Homeland Security’s Friday night midnight shutdown. Some extremists on the left are calling to abolish ICE. This fight and potential shutdown does nothing about that. Congress has already approved funding ICE until the end of President Trump’s term. Those other agencies would be hurt.
How risky is this for the Democrats to play this card right now?
Host Jim Niedelman waded into that issue with Iowa Republican party chairman Jeff Kaufmann and Democratic political consultant Kevin Perkins.
“You have to look at what people are really looking for strongly,” Perkins said. “They’re looking for ICE not to wear masks. They’re looking for reasonable use of force by ICE. They’re looking for body cameras. They’re looking at judicial warrants that would be necessary for you to break down my door.”
“The so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ has already funded ICE through 2029,” Kaufmann said. “Regardless of what happens during this shutdown, there will be no change in current funding.”
To hear more, click on the video above.
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