How Nevada lawmakers are responding to looming partial government shutdown over DHS funding

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Lawmakers left Washington D.C., on Thursday amid a looming deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

WATCH | Here's what that means, and how Nevada's congressional delegation is responding:

Democrats are pushing for reforms to ICE protocols and how agents interact with the communities they're in. Republicans are not supportive of the proposed guardrails.

The inability to reach a deal that satisfies both parties means a potential partial government shutdown for DHS agencies.

That includes the TSA, FEMA, and the U.S. Coast Guard. For the TSA, 95% of its workforce, or 61,000 people across the country, would be forced to report to work without pay.

Channel 13 talked to travelers, including David Wilson at Harry Reid International Airport, on Friday.

"TSA needs to get paid," he said.

Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congressman Steven Horsford both said they would not take payment during a shutdown.

"I will sacrifice my pay and benefits, as I've done every time," Horsford said, adding that Democrats "asked for very basic guardrails" regarding ICE.

"Don't wear a mask, use warrants, those are things that our local police do, and that's what we want ICE to do," Titus explained.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said "let's pass a bill right now to fund TSA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, FEMA and DHS's other programs separately from ICE and CBP" in a social media video posted Thursday.

Congresswoman Susie Lee said "the president has demonstrated many times that he's able to move money around to pay our troops," and added, "he can certainly move money around to pay our TSA agents and our coast guards as well."

While the House and Senate floors are empty, many people are still hoping for a resolution to this.

Lawmakers "get to do what's best for them, and the rest of us just have to deal with their decisions on their time schedule, and it's not right," said traveler Vicki Swanson.