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News 12 Staff

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After 42 days and as the situation kept getting worse at our nation's airports, a deal to end the partial government shutdown and the DHS funding impasse seemed within reach. In a rare overnight session, the Senate unanimously voted in favor of funding the Department of Homeland Security. This was early Friday morning. However, ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection were not included. This long overdue agreement funds TSA. The Coast Guard, FEMA, CISA strengthens security at the border and the ports of entry and keeps Americans safe. I'm very proud of our Democratic caucus. Throughout it all, Senate Democrats stood united, no wavering, no backing down. We held the line. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune blasting the Democratic Party for not putting in the effort to come to a deal earlier. We could be standing here right now passing a funding bill with a list of reforms. If Democrats had made the smallest effort to actually reach an agreement. But they didn't. Democrats got their issue, I guess. And in the process they are irreparably damaging the appropriations process. And this institution I hope they're satisfied. You know, who wasn't satisfied? Majority Leader Thune's colleagues in the House were Republicans and Speaker Johnson flat out rejected the bill, opting to draw up one of their own. The Republicans are not going to be a party to this. They have taken hostage the funding processes of government so that they can impose their radical agenda on the American people and we can't have any part of it. This gambit that was done last night is a joke. I'm quite convinced that it can't be that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill. And so the funding saga incentive continue. The only bright spot, President Trump signing the executive order to pay TSA workers while the impasse continues. Joining me now is one of the members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Congressman, it's always good to see you on the show. Thanks for having me, Eric. Listen, so much is up in the air still. The question is now that this has gone through the Senate, what happens in the House? You've been privy as part of the Problem Solvers Caucus to meetings to try and get both sides to come together. How heated have these meetings gotten? Well, first of all, let me just say that it's good news that TSA is back getting paid like they deserve, and that I'm hoping things clear up quickly at the airports for people and those lines get, uh, those lines get much shorter because it's unacceptable, uh, what was going on at the airports and, and that needs to be fixed. And we've got to do everything essential to protect. Uh, our homeland and to protect and ensure that in this moment, especially what's going on in the Middle East, that we, that we look out for every American, uh, at home. And so, you know, that's, that is our mission, that's our goal, and I'm glad that's moving forward. Um, you know, I, I'll tell you, I worked for the last 6 weeks or so with my colleagues, uh, including, uh, as has been reported. The former senator, now Secretary Mullen at the Department of Homeland Security, working on reforms. And, and I'll, I'll just say from my perspective, we still reforms at ICE, we're still having to deal with the reality that we did not, those reforms are not through yet. And I think we've got to keep working, and, and for the, for the next weeks, months, whatever it takes to get those reforms done. So Senator Tim Scott had said just today that it was the president saying that he would sign this order to pay the TSA that actually forced Senator Schumer to get on board and save face here. Uh, do you, do you think that that pressured Senate Dems at all to act overnight? Listen, I think, I think both sides were looking at a reality. You got to make sure that TSA agents uh get paid, that Coast Guard gets paid, that FEMA gets paid, um, uh, and that the government gets back open and it's functioning. Uh, it's totally unacceptable that, uh, when we can't agree with each other, we shut the government down. It's ridiculous and stop paying people and actually. Affect Americans in their lives, right? You shouldn't have to wait long at the airport because we're disagreeing on a policy matter. We should just sit at the table and work it out. That's what I do. I work with Democrats, Republicans in the House and the Senate, and keep working as I have for weeks now on some of these reforms of ICE. And I'm talking about things like that I really believe are important, like IDs, uh, and body cameras, uh, uh, use. Of force standards for ICE officers, um, uh, proper training, because as you know, the average ICE officer now under this administration is getting trained about 8 weeks. Cops in Jersey, you know, state troopers are getting trained for 6 months plus another 6 months of ride-alongs, you know, so there's a lot of, we shouldn't have ICE officers wandering around schools and churches and hospitals and. spaces and locations, right? So there are things that are common sense that there's a lot of bipartisan agreement on. We got to keep working to get it done. I don't stop working to, to, to find the common ground and get common sense things across the finish line. So I think we're gonna have to keep doing it. I'm not pointing fingers. I just want to keep getting it done. Congressman, listen, we're speaking as spring breakers are packing the airports like Newark Liberty, uh. The situation with workers and the backups and the residual effects from everything that we've seen at a time when, as you rightly pointed out, there's the war going on in Iran. Everybody's on a heightened alert, a state of awareness because of that, and many are wondering if the flying public is safe. Is there a message you have for them? And people are safe. And let me just tell you, uh, I'm on the intelligence Committee. I feel very good based on my briefings and based on the best we've got in the world here in the United States working to protect us. Uh, you know, I feel every American should feel safe. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be vigilant, and you should, you pay close attention as you always should and flag something if you see it. But the bottom line is, I know we, we, we are on high alert and, and our homeland and, and all of our departments from the FBI to DHS to local law enforce. I know are, are working overtime to make sure we're safe. That said, that you, we, we again, there's no reason why that you, as, as somebody who's traveling, should be stuck in a long line because of any kind of shutdown because TSA workers aren't getting paid and they're working 2 or 3 jobs or can't afford to work for no money for, for more than a month, uh, and they're driving Ubers and doing other things to make ends meet. Like that shouldn't be your problem and, and I'm really glad that now we're getting that they're getting paid. Congressman Josh Gottheim, we got to leave it there. Thanks so much for being with us as always. Thanks, man. And keep it right here on Power and Politics. Much more coming up right after the break.

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The governor signed an executive order this week calling on NJ Transit to become more efficient and consistent as Chris Keating tells us there's a deadline attached. Governor Sherrill is giving NJA Transit 45 days to report back with a plan on how exactly they plan to clean up their act, and she does mean that quite literally. She wants to see cleaner buses and cleaner trains and an overall improvement in real-time updates for commuters. Governor Sherrill signed this executive order putting NJ Transit to work from inside of Secaucus Junction in 40. 5 days. I want to know exactly what we're going to do to make sure that we repair escalators and elevators, brighten station lighting, improve signs. The governor has also tasked transit with an overhaul of their website and their app, and I on multiple occasions had that experience where I'm standing on the platform. And it says my train's coming and it's nowhere in sight. It's a lack of information that she says makes people late for meetings, late to get home to children and family events. This plan for improvements comes along with those already in the works, including work to open the Portal North Bridge and the purchase of 250 new buses and 40 new rail cars. In Secaucus, I'm Chris Keating, News 12, New Jersey. The governor marking the end of Ramadan last week at the Islamic Center of Passaic County, and she snapped pictures with many parishioners at the end of the holy month, but one in particular grabbed headlines and outlets like Fox and The New York Post. It shows her sitting with Imam Mohammad Khanani. Here's the picture right there. Once accused of Hamas ties in a deportation case and of lying on his green card application. He denied it and won. The same imam though chanted for a new intifada in Times Square back in 2017. control. A word synonymous with violent and deadly uprising. During the second Intifada, more than 1000 Jews were killed in Israel in suicide bombings and other attacks. Sean Higgins, senior adviser with the governor, released a two-pronged statement about this, first saying, quote, Governor Sherrill has unequivocally condemned this phrase and the sentiment behind it. He went on to say, Governor Sherrill has been clear that it is a phrase that creates fear in the Jewish community and has no place in New Jersey or anywhere. He also said Patterson is home to New Jersey's largest Muslim community, and Governor Sherrill visited the Islamic Center of Passaic County to join their celebration as the holy month of Ramadan came to a close, and that'll do it for this week. I'm Eric Landskronner. We thank you so much for watching New Jersey Power and Politics. We'll see you again next time.

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Assemblywoman and Deputy Speaker Ellen Park and Rep. Josh Gottheimer join the show this week.

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