Action News presses Valley lawmakers for answers as TSA lines stretch for hours

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As galore airdrome information lines agelong for hours, and with Congress seemingly obscurity adjacent to backing the Department of Homeland Security, Action News sought answers from Valley lawmakers.

"When you spot those TSA workers today, immoderate of the lone authorities employees not getting paid during this shutdown, what would you archer them?" we asked Republican Tom McClintock of North Fresno.

"What the Senate has done is unconscionable," McClintock said.

The lawmaker blamed the Senate, specifically the Democrats. House Republicans already passed a DHS backing bill.

"The migration enforcement has already been funded," McClintock said. "All they're doing is holding hostage the catastrophe relief, the TSA screening."

Last week, however, Republicans blocked a measure from California senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla to money FEMA during negotiations.

"I've participated successful each bipartisan meeting, you know, connected this topic, looking for bipartisan solutions," Merced Democrat Adam Gray told Action News.

He is among the Democrats calling for reforms to DHS, including restrictions connected masks and caller requirements for warrants.

"We've had Americans changeable and killed arsenic a effect of this irresponsible behavior," Gray said. "It's got to beryllium reined in. There's gotta beryllium rules and protocols."

Weeks into this shutdown, the back-and-forth is weighing connected travelers.

"The politicians should conscionable discontinue penalizing the radical who are trying to bash their job," a traveler successful Atlanta told ABC's Steve Osunsami connected Monday. "And, frankly, they shouldn't get paid until they get this straightened out."

"Is determination immoderate country wherever you tin conscionable (Democrats) astatine the array there?" Action News asked McClintock.

"(On) assemblage cameras, for example," McClintock said. "I deliberation you person to support everybody ... I've got nary problems with that."

"I couldn't hold more," Gray said erstwhile asked astir McClintock's response. "And if Tom McClintock wants to present that legislation, I volition co-sponsor it with him."

As the combat implicit DHS backing continues, the section has a caller leader. Former Senator Markwayne Mullin is confirmed arsenic the adjacent secretary, replacing Kristi Noem.

"I deliberation it was clip for a change," McClintock said. "I deliberation Markwayne Mullin is the alteration we needed."

McClintock has nationalist jurisdiction and oversight of migration policy, moving intimately with the DHS caput arsenic president of the House Subcommittee connected Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.

We asked him astir the caller killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by national agents successful Minneapolis.

"When you spot that, is that however you privation national agents to beryllium acting?" Action News asked.

"No, I don't," McClintock said. "But also, I bash deliberation the citizens should beryllium respecting instrumentality enforcement and complying with lawful orders by instrumentality enforcement."

Congressman Gray responded.

"It's demonstrated that we don't person the close guardrails successful place," helium said. "I'm gladsome that Kristi Noem was fired. (She) should person been fired a agelong clip ago."

During his confirmation hearing, Mullin promised a "better approach" to enforcement, adjacent acknowledging concerns implicit the Trump administration's efforts to physique ample caller migration detention centers.

"Have you been wrong immoderate of these facilities yourself?" Action News asked McClintock.

"Yes, galore times," helium said. "I was determination during the Obama epoch oregon astir apt during the Biden years. And what I saw was appalling."

"Do you deliberation arsenic chairman, with nationalist oversight implicit this enforcement, bash you deliberation possibly you should sojourn during this administration?" Action News pressed.

"Well, I haven't yet," McClintock said. "You person astir apt a bully suggestion. I'll instrumentality that nether advisement," helium said.

For quality updates, travel Gabe Ferris connected Facebook, X and Instagram.