While TSA workers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport struggle to pay their bills after missing their first full paycheck, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative Greg Casar (D-TX) spent Monday arguing in the terminal over whose fault it is.
Sen. Cornyn arrived at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with Whataburger burgers in hand, delivering food to TSA workers who missed their first full paycheck last week due to the ongoing partial government shutdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Rep. Casar was there waiting for him.
Casar wasted no time. He accused Cornyn of political theater, noting that Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill last week that would have funded TSA independently of the broader DHS dispute.
"The only acting award should go to Senator Cornyn, who has refused to fund TSA," Casar said. "I'm kind of confused about why Senator Cornyn would be here having a press conference at the airport about funding TSA when it's him who has blocked the funding."
Casar laid out the Democratic position plainly: his party voted against a bill that bundled TSA funding together with ICE funding, lacking reform provisions, then turned around and offered a standalone bill to pay TSA workers on their own, which Republicans rejected.
Cornyn, who had been delivering food nearby, pulled up, and the two went face to face. "Why don't you tell your Democrats to vote to pay these poor people," Cornyn said.
"Let's do it," Casar shot back.
"No, you do it. I voted for it time and time again," Cornyn replied.
When Casar described the Democratic proposal to fund TSA separately, Cornyn called it "not acceptable" and pointed to recent security threats as justification for fully funding the Department of Homeland Security rather than funding individual agencies piecemeal.
Cornyn then departed. Casar got in one final word: "Instead of bringing people burgers, he should bring them their paychecks."
DHS funding bills have now failed four times in the Senate. The shutdown passed the 30-day mark on Monday with no resolution in sight.
