Texas Lawmakers Spar Over DHS Funding Outside Austin Airport

Rep. Casar confronts Sen. Cornyn over Republican opposition to funding TSA without ICE reforms

Mar. 16, 2026 at 10:04pm

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Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) crashed a press conference led by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, sparking a heated debate over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. Cornyn was delivering food to TSA workers who missed their first full paycheck due to the partial government shutdown, but Casar accused Cornyn and Republicans of blocking a bill to fully fund TSA. The two lawmakers traded barbs over the funding impasse, with Cornyn insisting Democrats need to support funding for DHS, which includes both TSA and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Why it matters

The standoff over DHS funding highlights the partisan gridlock in Congress, with Democrats refusing to pass legislation that would fund ICE without reforms, while Republicans argue the entire DHS, including TSA, needs to be funded. The dispute has real-world impacts on TSA workers and airport security, raising concerns about public safety.

The details

Rep. Casar crashed Sen. Cornyn's press conference, where Cornyn was delivering food to TSA workers affected by the partial government shutdown. Casar accused Cornyn and Republicans of blocking a bill to fully fund TSA, while Cornyn argued Democrats need to support funding the entire DHS, which includes both TSA and ICE. The two lawmakers engaged in a heated debate over the funding impasse, with Cornyn insisting Democrats need to 'vote to pay these poor people' and Casar urging Cornyn to 'bring them their paychecks' by supporting the TSA funding bill.

  • The partial government shutdown caused TSA workers to miss their first full paycheck last week.

The players

Rep. Greg Casar

A Democratic U.S. Representative from Texas who confronted Sen. Cornyn over DHS funding.

Sen. John Cornyn

A Republican U.S. Senator from Texas who was delivering food to TSA workers affected by the partial government shutdown.

Rudy Koski

A local reporter who pushed back on Casar's statement, outlining Republican support for fully funding DHS.

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What they’re saying

“Just last week, the Democrats in the Senate and the House offered a bill to fully fund TSA, and Senator Cornyn and the Republicans blocked it. So, 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.”

— Rep. Greg Casar

“Why don't you tell your Democrats to vote to pay these poor people?”

— Sen. John Cornyn

“Let's talk for a second, Senator. There's a bipartisan bill to fund just the TSA. Can we do that?”

— Rep. Greg Casar

“It's not acceptable … How about all the terrorist attacks like we see down on 6th Street? You want those to continue? These people are keeping us safe. Tell the Democrats to vote for funding the DHS.”

— Sen. John Cornyn

What’s next

Lawmakers are expected to continue debating the DHS funding issue this week, with votes to follow.

The takeaway

The partisan standoff over DHS funding, with Democrats refusing to pass legislation without ICE reforms and Republicans insisting on funding the entire department, highlights the gridlock in Congress and the real-world impacts on TSA workers and airport security.