Congressman John Moolenaar voted in favor of H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, on Mar. 26 as the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security reached its 40th day. This marks the third time House Republicans have tried to restore funding for the department.
The ongoing shutdown has left many Department of Homeland Security employees working without pay since funding expired on February 14. Essential agencies such as TSA, FEMA, Border Patrol, and Coast Guard continue operations but have not received paychecks during this period.
“DHS agents with TSA, FEMA, Border Patrol, and Coast Guard are vital to keeping our nation safe and have worked now for over a month without pay as this shutdown continues. In the House, I supported three bills to prevent or end the shutdown and fully fund DHS. Meanwhile, my Democrat colleagues have voted against each of these commonsense measures to ensure those who keep us safe get paid. It’s long past due for Democrats to compromise on their demands, and fund DHS,” said Moolenaar.
Over 450 Transportation Security Administration agents have resigned since the beginning of the shutdown. H.R. 8029 passed in a vote of 218 to 206 in the House of Representatives with only four Democratic members supporting it.
Moolenaar is currently serving in Congress representing Michigan’s second district after replacing Dave Camp in 2015 according to Congress.gov. He previously served in both chambers of Michigan’s state legislature as reported by Vote Smart. Moolenaar was born in Midland in 1961 and now lives in Caledonia according to Ballotpedia. He graduated from Hope College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1983 according to Hope College.
The debate over DHS funding highlights ongoing divisions within Congress about how best to resolve issues related to national security and federal employee compensation during government shutdowns.
