Senate Majority leader warns Dems are putting cyber operations at risk as Iran threat looms

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., accused Democrats of holding the government hostage during a dangerous time as the party refuses to budge in a gridlocked funding battle.

"They are holding all these agencies of government hostage, including TSA, including the cyber office – which runs all of our cyber operations – and here we are living in a dangerous world where we're worrying about Iranian cyber operations," he said.

Thune’s comments come as airports nationwide face massive disruptions and long wait times with TSA agents not showing up to work because of the partial government shutdown of DHS.

"There are a whole range of DHS functions that are funded by that appropriations bill that the Democrats are choosing not to open," he said.

"I don't know how you can defend a ‘defund law enforcement’… argument which is essentially what they're making."
"This is about safe and secure elections in this country and making sure that we have an election process that is actually with the right people, not just the illegals who are in this country, have an opportunity to vote," Thune said.

Thune explained to Fox News what the GOP’s objective is with the upcoming debate discussions.

"What we wanted to do is put them on the record, force them to defend a position which we think is indefensible, particularly with where the American people are on this," he told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier.

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Thune said voter identification is "broadly" supported by Americans of all political parties and that Democrats’ maneuvering on the issue could be an opportunity for the GOP to capitalize politically.

"I think that's a fairly simple position and one that Democrats ought to eventually get on board with," he told Fox News.

"But if they don't, it's obviously an issue that we [GOP] will be able to use, I think, in the fall elections.

So, it has politics around it."
Thune reiterated his commitment to abiding by the president’s legislative demands on voter identification.

"It's a big priority for the president," he said.

"There are a lot of people across the country who want to see this voted on, and we will guarantee a vote at the end of that, and we'll see where people stand."