By MATT PIKE

A partial government shutdown that is affecting funding to parts of the Department of Homeland Security is still ongoing.

The shutdown triggered over border control agents and immigration officials has now been going on for over a month, with departments such as FEMA and the Transportation Security Administration not receiving funding.

Kansas Representative Derek Schmidt calls the failure to get a funding bill passed extremely frustrating

“It’s unnecessary, it needs to end at the end of the day,” Schmidt says on the KFEQmunnity show. “There is no reason other than political dynamics for the Department of Homeland Security not to be fully funded, we actually had a bipartisan agreement with the House and the Senate, Republicans and Democrats to fund it, and then Senate Democrats reneged on that agreement and here we are stuck, bottom line is it just needs to get done.”

The funding bill has been shot down by the Senate four times, the biggest issue coming over funding of ICE and border security, following the incidents in Minnesota.

Schmidt is calling for the Senate to get the measure passed, saying it’s unfair to TSA agents who are currently working unpaid, some even not showing up to work due to the lack of pay.

“Sure they’ll get back pay eventually, but that doesn’t pay the mortgage that needs to be paid now, it doesn’t pay the grocery bill when it needs to be paid now, they did nothing wrong, nobody’s even mad at them, this should not be happening,” Schmidt explains. “So to with the Secret Service that’s in the same boat, so to with FEMA which is in the same boat, so to with the Coast Guard which is in the same boat, that’s an unfortunate expression but yes, it’s true, and it’s not just unfair to them it is irresponsible to Americans all over the country, especially with what is going on in the Middle East right now.”

Schmidt says it feels like this has become more of a political issue than a policy issue

“That is very frustrating, it is very unfair to the men and women, for example in TSA but in the other agencies affected, who nobody is mad at, it’s not part of what this argument, this debate, this fight is about,” Schmidt says. “It is very unfair to the traveling American pubic and it is very unfair to all of our citizens who deserve to know, especially in this time of combat in the Middle East, that Homeland Security is fully funded, fully equipped, has what they need to keep our communities safe, and so I know I keep saying the same thing but it just needs to come to an end.”

Schmidt points out the irony is a bipartisan deal came to by both the House and Senate had many things in it that would suit what Democrats are asking for, including better training among others.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.