WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor calling on Senate Democrats to end their filibuster of the DHS funding bill:

“For two weeks now, Democrats have continued to filibuster funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

“Democrats are filibustering Homeland Security funding for one reason: to defend actions President Obama himself referred to as “unwise and unfair,” and “ignoring the law.”

“For two full weeks, Democrats have prevented the Senate from even considering legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats won’t allow the Senate to even debate this funding. Democrats won’t allow the Senate to even consider amendments to this funding.

“Democrats appear willing to do anything and everything they can to prevent the Senate from taking any action to fund Homeland Security. And all to defend “unwise and unfair” overreach.

“This includes Democrats who claim to be against overreach and who claim to be for funding the Department of Homeland Security. And yet, these Democrats continue to filibuster things they claim to want.

“Listen to the things Democrats have been saying too. We heard a claim from them that the Democrats’ filibuster wasn’t actually a filibuster. We heard a call from them for the Senate to start with funding legislation of its own. Of course, the Democratic Leader has been clear in the past that the Senate can do no such thing.

“Well, here’s some good news. There’s already a funding bill before us. It already passed the House. It would fund the Department of Homeland Security fully. And we can consider it today, right now. All Democrats have to do is stop blocking the Senate from even debating it.

“If our Democrat colleagues don’t like provisions in the bill the House has passed, the Senate has a process for modifying bills. It’s called amending them. But the Senate can only consider amendments to a bill if it’s not being filibustered.

“This strained logic of our Democrat friends is hard to follow. We understand Democrats might be having a tough time kicking this years-long gridlock habit of theirs. But it’s about time they did.

“I’ve already offered a fair and open debate to them several times now. It’s a debate that would allow for amendments from both parties. That means amendments from Democrats too. If you want to make changes to the bill, colleagues, that is your chance.

“But to do so, you first need to end the weeks-long Democrat filibuster of Homeland Security funding. Get serious instead. Let the Senate fund the Department of Homeland Security.”