Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., torched jet-setting Senate Democrats on Thursday for voting against funding for the Department of Homeland Security before traveling to the Munich Security Conference this weekend.
"Right about now, there's a bus leaving the Capitol grounds headed for the airport," Schmitt said in a fiery speech on the Senate floor.
"Democrats who just voted to defund the paycheck of the TSA agent making $40,000 a year are on that bus to hop on a plane funded by your tax dollars to go to Munich and badmouth American foreign policy."
Schmitt spoke after Democrats blocked DHS funding when their demands for reforms to immigration enforcement were not met. The 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.
Democrat Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Mark Warner of Virginia, Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Peter Welch of Vermont, Andy Kim of New Jersey, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan are expected to attend the Munich Security Conference, considered the world's leading forum for international security policy.
"They'll be sipping wine with the global elites telling them, 'Don't listen to President [Donald] Trump, that's not who we are,'" Schmitt said.
"I got news for you. The American people have weighed in, and they did in November of 2024. This new direction for foreign policy is the ascending view.
"Outside of the foreign policy debate, is it just how offensive it is that they voted to defund DHS and are going to fly transatlantic on the taxpayer dime to trash-talk America. The hypocrisy is insane."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation, which also is expected to include Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and Steve Daines of Montana.
Congress faces a midnight Friday deadline to secure DHS funding. The department's appropriations measure was carved out of a broader spending package in January to avert a partial government shutdown.
The House passed a full-year DHS spending bill Jan. 22.
Although funding for the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts was set for the rest of Trump's second term through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, DHS risks losing funds for agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and the Transportation Security Administration.
Democrats have said they will not support DHS funding unless a list of 10 policy demands is met.
Those include requiring court-issued warrants for certain enforcement actions, clearer identification requirements for DHS officers, new use-of-force standards and a ban on racial profiling.
They argue the changes are necessary following the fatal shooting of two anti-ICE protesters last month during encounters with federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.
"This is an effort by the Democrats to kneecap immigration enforcement, to kneecap ICE," Schmitt said.
"They lost the issue on the front end of the election. Now, they want to make it so hard for ICE to do their jobs that deportations come to a halt.
"That's the truth. And anybody in this town who tells you otherwise is just spinning.
"They don't want people deported because they're importing a voter base that they think will give them power. They're not even hiding behind this anymore."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has floated the idea of another continuing resolution to extend DHS funding and allow negotiations with Democrats to continue.
But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Tuesday that the Senate should instead take up the House-passed bill.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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