Schiff, Booker deflect on shutdown blame amid terror concerns, thousands of DHS workers without pay

CNN's Jake Tapper confronted Booker with similar questioning and asked, "Isn't it time for Democrats to reopen and refund DHS?"

"Democrats have tried multiple times to try to get TSA, CISA, the Coast Guard funded. Republicans have refused, time and time and time again, to fund," Booker began.

Booker argued that ICE was still doing "reckless things," and added, "I will not approve another dollar for ICE given all that they're doing. But we should be funding those TSA agents that keep us safe, CISA, Coast Guard, and for Republicans to refuse to do it is unacceptable."

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also put blame on Republicans during an interview with Tapper on Sunday. 

"I think Republicans should stop blocking the Democratic proposals to fund all of DHS, including TSA and other parts, except for the parts that should be negotiated over, which is ICE and Customs and Border Patrol," he said. 

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said last week that the Democrats were "totally ready to fund FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard, other elements," but that ICE was continuing to "misbehave."

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, scoffed at what they view as Democratic calls to avoid the heart of the gridlock.

"That's extremely hypocritical because we've already funded ICE," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, noting that the agency had already received allocations through Trump's Big Beautiful Bill last year.

"So, the only thing they're doing is hurting the air-traveling public through TSA. They're hurting them and not accomplishing what they're saying they're trying to accomplish. It's shameful," Cornyn said.