Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) said Senate lawmakers need to “get back to work” as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues while they break for spring recess.
House Republicans and President Donald Trump have been very critical of Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) proposal to fund DHS, with the former group voting for a short-term funding patch in opposition to the plan. Burchett said Thune made “a huge mistake,” saying “83%” of the population supports Trump and the SAVE America Act, which Thune “ignores.”
Burchett added that the Senate passed its DHS funding deal early in the morning as Thune “cuts a deal” with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“Obviously, the leadership in the Senate, and that’s on both sides of the aisle, has a real disgust for this president and House leadership because they didn’t even have the guts to call [House] Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and let him know what happened,” Burchett said on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing. “The whole deal of the stereotype of Congress is, and it’s well deserved, is that we pass stuff in the dark of night cause we don’t have any guts, and that’s clearly what’s shown in the Senate leadership. I think they need to get some new leadership over there, in my opinion.”
Burchett added that Senators need to “get back to work,” saying they “clearly don’t want to work.” He added he can’t get used to “two-hour work weeks” in Washington, D.C., as he waits for the Senate to “budge on something.”
Burchett also voiced support for TMZ founder Harvey Levin, asking for pictures of lawmakers vacationing on spring recess. Levin said he wants to show the public what lawmakers are doing “at your expense,” and Burchett said he hoped the outlet would “bust” some lawmakers.
“America’s suffering, we’re paying more at the pumps, these ridiculous lines, we’re forcing TSA agents to work for free multiple times this year, and yet Congress has continued to be paid,” Burchett said.
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Most recently, TMZ released a story featuring a picture of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) getting breakfast at Disney World in Florida.
Trump said Thursday that he will sign an executive order to pay thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers amid the DHS shutdown. Border czar Tom Homan said TSA officers could be paid as early as Monday.