Rep. Malliotakis to Newsmax: Dems Risk Security on DHS Bill

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., on Friday criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for failing to advance a Department of Homeland Security funding bill, arguing the impasse could jeopardize national security.

Malliotakis, appearing on Newsmax's "Bianca Across the Nation," said the House passed the funding package Thursday with support from four Democrats and sent the legislation to the Senate.

She said the measure has stalled because Senate Democrats have not provided enough votes to move it forward.

"For the fourth time, Senator Schumer refused to provide the necessary votes to ensure its passage," Malliotakis said.

Malliotakis said she found the situation particularly troubling given upcoming national and international events and the historical significance of the moment.

"It's shocking to me that two New Yorkers, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 — with all the events we have coming up, America 250 and the World Cup — would not fund the Department of Homeland Security, putting all Americans at risk," she said.

Malliotakis noted that DHS was established following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and argued that lawmakers from New York should recognize the agency's importance.

"This was an agency that was created after September 11th," she said. "These two New Yorkers should know more than anyone how critical of an agency it is."

She pointed to several DHS responsibilities, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, airport security through the Transportation Security Administration, and maritime protection through the U.S. Coast Guard.

"These are important things that need to be funded 100%, particularly at this time," Malliotakis said.

Malliotakis also linked the funding debate to a recent subway attack in New York City allegedly involving a migrant with a prior criminal history.

"That illegal immigrant who pushed an 83-year-old veteran on the tracks — he's in this country illegally," she said. "He was deported four times. He had 15 prior arrests, and he was residing in a city shelter that we, the taxpayers, are funding."

Authorities identified the suspect as Bairon Posada-Hernandez, a Honduran national who had previously been deported multiple times. Malliotakis questioned why he was released after prior arrests and why he was not turned over to federal immigration authorities.

"Why was he released back onto our streets while [New York Gov.] Kathy Hochul has this radical bail law that lets everyone loose?" she said. "Why was he not turned over to ICE if he's in the country illegally committing crimes?"

Malliotakis also criticized New York City's sanctuary policies and accused Democratic leaders of failing to address the issue.

"The city has a ridiculous sanctuary policy that protects individuals like him," she said. "This is who they're fighting for. This is who they're shutting down the Department of Homeland Security for, to protect guys like this that are in the country illegally wreaking havoc on our streets."

She called the case a "poster child" for what she described as the consequences of Democratic immigration and criminal justice policies and urged leaders to condemn the incident.

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