Heated Exchange at Austin Airport: Texas Congressmen Clash Over DHS Shutdown
Two Texas congressmen, Democrat Greg Casar and Republican John Cornyn, had a heated exchange outside an Austin airport regarding the ongoing DHS shutdown. Cornyn, seeking visibility in a GOP Senate primary, visited the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to deliver burgers to TSA screeners working without pay. He blamed Democrats for the shutdown, while Democrats proposed partial funding bills for TSA employees and non-immigration DHS workers, which Republicans blocked. Casar, a progressive Democrat, confronted Cornyn about supporting a partial TSA funding bill, but Cornyn insisted on a full DHS funding measure. The exchange was captured on video and shared on social media by CSPAN.
Cornyn arrived at the airport and criticized Democrats for not voting to pay TSA employees, claiming he had supported such measures in the past. Casar asked Cornyn to support a bipartisan bill to fund just the TSA, but Cornyn dismissed the idea as "not acceptable" and emphasized the importance of DHS in keeping people safe, referencing recent terrorist attacks in Austin. Despite Casar's attempts to continue the conversation, Cornyn walked away.
Inside the airport, Cornyn told reporters that Democrats chose not to pay the men and women working to keep airports and skies safe in an attempt to gain political advantage. The tense exchange highlighted the ongoing disagreement between the two parties over funding for DHS and TSA employees during the shutdown.