U.S. Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, who represents Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, announced on Mar. 26 that the House passed his resolution expressing gratitude to Department of Homeland Security staff and calling for full funding of the department. The vote came as part of a broader appropriations bill to fund DHS, which has been at the center of a partial government shutdown since February 14.
The ongoing funding dispute has left over 200,000 workers without pay and led to hundreds leaving their jobs, with long lines reported at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Mackenzie said these conditions are affecting frontline workers: “For the third time in six months, politics is getting in the way of giving critical American workers the pay they’ve earned,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “Frontline workers, like TSA agents at Lehigh Valley International Airport, should not lose their paychecks because of political games. That’s why I introduced this resolution thanking our DHS employees and calling for full funding alongside commonsense, bipartisan reforms. It’s time for the Senate to come together to finish the job.”
According to the official website, Mackenzie represents a district that includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties as well as part of Monroe County. He supports community programs such as art competitions and grant assistance according to his office. Spanish-language services are also available by appointment in his Downtown Allentown office according to his website.
Mackenzie’s legislative focus covers healthcare improvements, workforce development initiatives, taxpayer protection measures, environmental conservation efforts, veteran support policies and government reform according to information from his office. During his tenure in Pennsylvania’s state House he authored legislation on these issues as noted by his official site.
The fate of DHS funding now rests with the Senate where some Democrats have linked passage to changes in Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy despite ICE operations not being affected by this particular shutdown.
