Schmitt Accuses Democrats of Hypocrisy After Voting to Defund DHS Ahead of Munich Security Conference

Senate Majority Leader Eric Schmitt of Missouri condemned Democratic senators for voting against funding for the Department of Homeland Security before traveling to the Munich Security Conference this weekend.

During his speech on the Senate floor, Schmitt stated: “Right about now, there’s a bus leaving the Capitol grounds headed for the airport. 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.”

The senators blocked DHS funding after their demands for immigration enforcement reforms were not met. The Senate’s 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

Democratic 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.

Schmitt criticized Democrats for their stance, adding: “They’ll be sipping wine with the global elites telling them, ‘Don’t listen to President Donald Trump, that’s not who we are.'”

He also noted: “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.”

Schmitt further accused Democrats of hypocrisy for voting to defund DHS while traveling on taxpayer dollars: “Outside of the foreign policy debate, it’s 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 to Munich, which also includes Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and Steve Daines of Montana.

Congress faces a midnight deadline on Friday to secure DHS funding. The department’s appropriations measure was included in a January spending package to avoid a partial government shutdown.

The House passed a full-year DHS spending bill on January 22. However, DHS risks losing funds for agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and the Transportation Security Administration under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Democrats have indicated they will not support DHS funding unless their list of 10 policy demands is met. These 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 these changes are necessary following the fatal shooting of two anti-ICE protesters during encounters with federal law enforcement in Minneapolis last month.

Schmitt described the Democratic approach as an effort to “kneecap immigration enforcement” and “kneecap ICE,” stating: “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.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has floated the idea of another continuing resolution to extend DHS funding and allow negotiations with Democrats. However, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Tuesday that the Senate should instead take up the House-passed bill.