Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on Wednesday ripped "childish" and "disrespectful" Democrats for failing to support the funding of immigration enforcement.
Speaking on the Senate floor after Congress approved the Secure America Act, Blackburn said voters in Tennessee are baffled that every Senate Democrat opposed legislation that funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol through the remainder of President Donald Trump's second term.
"One thing that came up regularly as I talked to Tennesseans this weekend was why did every Democrat vote against this?" Blackburn said.
She described the legislation as a major victory for public safety and border security, arguing it provides law enforcement agencies with the resources needed to deport criminal illegal aliens, stop the flow of fentanyl, and enforce federal immigration laws.
"The Secure America Act ... is vital legislation because it will fund ICE and Border Patrol for the rest of President Trump's term," Blackburn said.
Blackburn said Americans want safe communities and expect the federal government to enforce immigration laws already on the books.
"People want to feel safe and secure in their homes, in their communities, in their states," she said.
Blackburn accused Democrats of effectively trying to force a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security by withholding support for funding legislation.
"For 76 days, the Democrats had thrown the Department of Homeland Security into a shutdown," she said, comparing the effort to a modern version of "defund the police" and "abolish ICE."
She reserved some of her strongest criticism for Democrats' opposition to immigration enforcement.
"Childish, yes. Ridiculous, absolutely disrespectful," Blackburn said. "The American people are listening and they don't like what they're hearing."
Blackburn argued that Republicans "slammed the door" on Democrat efforts by passing the Secure America Act and ensuring funding for agencies including ICE, Border Patrol, Transportation Security Administration, Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Blackburn also tied the debate to broader concerns about election integrity, highlighting her Election Security Partnership Act with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
The proposal would encourage states to verify voter rolls using the Department of Homeland Security's SAVE database to identify ineligible registrations, including noncitizens.
Blackburn said election security should be a bipartisan issue but questioned why many Democrat-led states refuse to use tools already available to verify voter eligibility.
"The American people do not want voter fraud," she said. "They want to have confidence in our elections. It is the foundation of our system of representative government."