Wisconsin GOP U.S. Rep. Tony Wied says Democrats were “not hitting their intended target” as Congress attempts to negotiate a funding package to end a partial government shutdown.

“They’re obviously going after some of the (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has already been funded for multiple years,” the De Pere Republican said at a WisPolitics-State Affairs breakfast event held yesterday at Washington, D.C.’s AT&T Forum. “But what’s happening is, you’re having the great men and women in TSA that are being hurt by this.”

Wied made his remarks hours before President Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order instructing new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pay TSA officers.

The United States is now in day 41 of the partial shutdown, which has seen TSA officials – as well as other employees of most agencies under the Department of Homeland Security – go unpaid as Dems seek to negotiate immigration enforcement reform. 

Nearly 500 airport security officers have quit since the shutdown began in February, per a Reuters report yesterday, while others have stopped showing up for work, leading to long wait times at airports across the country.

The Senate voted early this morning to fund TSA and the rest of DHS, except for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Those agencies have continued operating during the shutdown with the help of tens of millions of dollars funneled to each agency by Republicans last year.

The funding deal now goes to the House.

Wied argued yesterday Congress should reach a deal to fund Homeland Security and then negotiate on immigration enforcement reform.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, told WisPolitics Tuesday that he’d support funding most of Homeland Security – just not immigration enforcement, which Wied objected to separating from the rest of the DHS’s funding package. 

Wied also suggested Congress should postpone a recess scheduled to begin Friday until lawmakers can negotiate a deal on DHS funding.

“I think we should just stay until we figure it out, and don’t go home until we figure it out,” Wied said. 

Wied was more skeptical of broader immigration reform, saying such change would require a majority of the American people to support it, and he didn’t “see anything short-term” happening. 

Wied defended President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran late last month, arguing the chief executive was within his constitutional authority and that intelligence agencies showed Iran posed a threat to the U.S.

He did, however, say Congress had a “big say” over whether to approve additional funding to fight the war.

“In Congress, we have the power of the purse, and there very well could be that debate coming up as far as additional funding, and what does that additional funding look like,” Wied said. 

The Pentagon last week asked the White House to seek an additional $200 billion to prosecute the war, though that request had not been received in the House as of Tuesday, per Pocan, who serves on the Appropriations Committee. 

Wied said he endorsed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s 26-year-old son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the primary for the 7th Congressional District because Congress needs “more youth.”

Alfonso is running for the seat currently occupied by Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, who is running for governor.

Wied called Alfonso a “very well-spoken, very smart young man” inspired by slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and said he believed Trump’s endorsement of Alfonso would prove helpful in a five-way GOP primary against Kevin Hermening, Jessi Ebben, Paul Wassgren and Niina Baum.

The De Pere Republican also defended Medicaid cuts under Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, saying taxpayer dollars should go to helping people “temporarily” and that imposing forthcoming work requirements got people “off of the sidelines.”

“There’s plenty of jobs available. There’s a lot of opportunities. It’s the greatest country in the world, and quite frankly I think it’s good for you to get out and work and achieve and make a difference,” Wied said. 

Wied said data centers were “important to our country and important to our national security,” but said it was important for local communities to have a seat at the table in the projects’ development.

A $1.6 billion hyperscale data center proposed for Menominee, in the 8th Congressional District, was placed on hold in September amid widespread community opposition.

He also said he expected state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, to win the Democratic gubernatorial primary and for Tom Tiffany to beat her in the general, despite the GOP’s lack of success in recent statewide races.

This story has been updated with additional information.