By Chad Pergram | Fox News
发布时间：2026年2月22日 美国东部时间下午12:50
“我不敢相信他们就这么走了！”
“他们为什么不等到问题解决呢？”
“为什么不让他们留下来？”
上周，我至少接到了来自同事、朋友和熟人的四十个问题。还有其他新闻机构的记者和编辑，以及几名国会助手。
每个人都问同样的问题。他们难以置信的是，议员们一周前（周四）就离开了国会大厦，周六美国东部时间午夜12:00:01，没有为国土安全部提供资金。
海岸警卫队在民主党国土安全部停摆中被列为’附带损害’，中俄在美水域施压
参议院民主党人阻挠了一项短期拨款法案，阻碍了维持国土安全部及其机构运作的努力。(Heather Diehl/盖蒂图片社拍摄)
周四，参议院两次试图避免部分政府停摆。参议院未能打破对一项未定资金搁置法案的阻挠议事。随后，来自康涅狄格州的民主党参议员克里斯·墨菲（Chris Murphy）反对阿拉巴马州共和党参议员凯蒂·布里特（Katie Britt）提出的批准为期两周临时拨款法案的请求。该法案的通过需要所有100名参议员的同意，但只需一人反对即可。墨菲代表国会大厦两侧的许多民主党人进行干预，阻挠了布里特的努力。
“我受够了！”布里特在参议院地板上愤怒地喊道，当时国会将联邦政府至少部分地区推向了自去年10月以来的第三次停摆。
民主党人拒绝为国土安全部提供资金，除非就改革美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）达成具体协议。而且——很少有民主党人会大声说出来——但他们的支持者坚持认为，在明尼阿波利斯发生蕾妮·古德（Renee Good）和亚历克斯·普雷蒂（Alex Pretti）被杀事件后，民主党应该关闭ICE并关闭国土安全部。
这有点讽刺。去年，共和党人通过了《一个大而美丽的法案》，将ICE的资金延长至2029年。因此，由于民主党人的阻挠，美国运输安全管理局（TSA）、海岸警卫队和联邦紧急事务管理局（FEMA）——所有这些都在国土安全部的管辖范围内——目前都面临资金短缺。这意味着数万名员工实际上在没有薪水的情况下工作，他们在机场检查乘客、在海上巡逻和应对自然灾害。
这让我们回到了一个基本问题：他们为什么不等到问题解决呢？
作为一名记者，我报道过数十次停摆、部分停摆、接近停摆以及与停摆的边缘试探。更不用说各种形式的临时支出法案（长期和短期）了，这些法案被称为持续决议案（Continuing Resolutions或CRs）。这些法案按旧支出水平继续提供资金，直到议员们就新的方案达成一致。有时一个CR会引发另一个CR，甚至第三个CR，直到问题解决。这个过程可能持续数月。
ICE如何从9/11后反恐机构演变为移民斗争的中心
凯蒂·布里特参议员在她的临时法案被否决后在参议院地板上发泄不满。(Anna Moneymaker/盖蒂图片社拍摄)
但涉及到国土安全部时，议员们无法立即解决围绕ICE的问题。因此，当最后期限临近时，参众两院议员们都离开了华盛顿。当周六午夜钟声敲响，国土安全部陷入资金崩溃时，议员们正在从前往中东到慕尼黑的途中。
从政策角度来看，不资助国土安全部似乎不合理——无论你对ICE持何种看法。但如果你了解资助ICE的政治和国会程序，这并非不合理。
假设他们正处于资助国土安全部的协议边缘。这可能涉及参议院和众议院领导人最后时刻之间的文件交换，可能有一两次总统致电给不情愿的共和党人。如果议员们相信协议就在眼前，那么领导人不太可能让议员们离开。如果上周五有可行的途径达成协议，他们本可以留下来，让参议院加快进程，并在周六或周日（尽管在截止日期之后）进行投票，然后众议院在周一投票。这一切都以协议即将达成的前提为基础。
然而，当议员们在上周四宣布休会时，他们远未达到这个阶段。两周多前政府78%部分停摆后，民主党人几天内都没有提出他们的方案。随后，民主党人批评共和党人和白宫缓慢地提出反建议。民主党人随后拒绝了共和党计划——直到周一晚才提出另一个计划。
达成一项能够在参众两院通过并克服参议院阻挠议事的协议需要时间。目前还没有达成协议。
事情变得更有趣了。在没有协议的情况下，你无法用什么来束缚华盛顿的议员们的行动。没有什么可投票的。没有预定的委员会会议。将所有议员拴在华盛顿只会引发麻烦。
梅雷迪思·威尔森（Meredith Willson）在《音乐之声》中的歌曲《麻烦》中有一句台词：”无所事事的头脑是魔鬼的游乐场。”谁知道如果让非常愤怒的议员们在华盛顿无所事事地待上几天——没有什么可投票的——会引发什么样的恶作剧。让所有人留在这里无助于达成协议。是的，众议院和参议院共有532名议员（有两个空缺）最终必须参与投票以通过一项资助国土安全部的法案。但我们尚未达到这一阶段。众议院、参议院和白宫的少数议员将是谈判协议的人。普通议员被困在华盛顿，除了在社交媒体上发表极端言论和出现在有线电视新闻上之外无所事事，这是适得其反的。
现在，让我们看另一种接近协议的情况。众议院和参议院领导人可能认为他们还缺少一些选票。但如果有可行的方案，领导人知道他们可以通过一些说服、立法和自我安抚以及几个有力的电话来确保足够的票数。是的，这个过程可能需要努力。但在这种情况下，让所有人在华盛顿多留几天并破坏期待已久的国会休会期实际上有助于这一进程。
国土安全部停摆在极端天气下让地方应急人员自顾不暇，专家警告
为什么？
想想斯德哥尔摩综合征。你要求所有人在华盛顿多待一两天，”人质”就会开始接受劫持者的观点。是的，每个人都感到沮丧和愤怒。但他们觉得这个法案是他们可以支持的，最终结束这三次政府停摆。在这种情况下，不满情绪会积累——但只是一点点。每个人都乐意投赞成票并迅速离开国会山。
如果他们接近就国土安全部资金达成协议，那么国会领导人就会运用”斯德哥尔摩综合征”来完成一切。
但是，如果没有协议，领导人更害怕因让所有人留在华盛顿而引发的混乱。魔鬼会在无所事事的头脑的游乐场中横行。
那么，你如何知道何时达成了协议？
当所有人都在场并准备就座时。
查德·佩格拉姆（Chad Pergram）目前担任福克斯新闻频道（FNC）首席国会记者。他于2007年9月加入该网络，常驻华盛顿特区。
An idol Capitol could be the devil’s playground
By Chad Pergram | Fox News
Published February 22, 2026 12:50pm EST
“I can’t believe they just left!”
“Why didn’t they just stay until they fixed it?”
“Why didn’t they make them stay?”
I must have fielded forty questions last week from colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Even reporters and editorial staff from other news organizations. And that’s to say nothing of a few Congressional aides.
Everyone had the same question. They were in disbelief that lawmakers just abandoned the Capitol a week ago Thursday and left the Department of Homeland Security without funding on Saturday at 12:00:01 am et.
COAST GUARD CAUGHT AS ‘COLLATERAL DAMAGE’ IN DEMOCRATS’ DHS SHUTDOWN AS CHINA, RUSSIA PRESS US WATERS
Senate Democrats blocked a short-term funding bill, stalling efforts to keep DHS and its agencies operating.(Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
The Senate tried twice to avert the partial government shutdown on Thursday. The Senate failed to break a filibuster on a placeholder, undetermined funding bill. And then Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., objected to a request by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., to approve a stopgap, two-week funding bill. Passage of the bill would require agreement of all 100 senators. But all it took was one objection. And Murphy, speaking for many Democrats on both sides of the Capitol, interceded to sidetrack Britt’s effort.
“I’m over it!” shouted an exasperated Britt on the Senate floor, as Congress pitched at least part of the federal government into its third shutdown since October 1.
Democrats are refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security until there’s a specific agreement to reform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). And – few Democrats will say this out loud – but their base insists on Democrats shuttering DHS over ICE tactics after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
This is somewhat ironic. Republicans funded ICE through 2029 via last year’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill. So thanks to Democrats, TSA, the Coast Guard and FEMA – all under the DHS aegis – are without money right now. That means tens of thousands of employees are technically working without paychecks as they scan passengers at airports, patrol the seas and respond to natural disasters.
This brings us back to the basic question: Why didn’t they just stay until they figured it out?
As a reporter, I have covered dozens of shutdowns, partial shutdowns, near shutdowns, flirtations with shutdowns. That’s to say nothing of various permutations of interim spending bills – long and short – known as Continuing Resolutions or CRs. Those bills keep the funding flowing at the old spending level – until lawmakers all agree on something new. Sometimes one CR begets another CR. And even another one after that until everything’s resolved. The exercise can go on for months.
HOW ICE WENT FROM POST-9/11 COUNTERTERROR AGENCY TO CENTER OF THE IMMIGRATION FIGHT
Sen. Katie Britt vented frustration on the Senate floor after her stopgap bill was blocked.(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
But as it pertains to DHS, lawmakers weren’t going to solve the issues surrounding ICE right away. So both the House and Senate got out of Dodge last Thursday as the deadline loomed. Lawmakers were everywhere from the Middle East to Munich when the bell tolled midnight Saturday and DHS lumbered into a slow-speed funding crash.
Failure to fund the Department of Homeland Security may seem unreasonable from a policy standpoint – regardless of what you think of ICE. But it’s not unreasonable if you understand the politics and Congressional procedure to fund ICE.
Let’s say they were on the precipice of an agreement to fund DHS. That may involve some last-minute trading of paper between Senate and House leaders. Maybe a call or two from the President to reluctant Republicans. If lawmakers believed a deal was within range, it’s doubtful that leaders would have cut Members loose. They would have stayed if there was a viable path to nail something down last Friday, have the Senate expedite the process and vote on either Saturday or Sunday (albeit after the deadline) and then have the House vote on Monday. That’s all under the premise of a deal being close.
They were nowhere near that stage when lawmakers called it last Thursday. Democrats didn’t send over their offer for days after a brief shutdown of 78 percent of the government more than two weeks ago. Democrats then criticized Republicans and the White House for slowly volleying a counteroffer. Democrats then rejected the GOP plan – only sending back another plan late Monday.
Getting a deal which can pass both the House and Senate – and overcome a Senate filibuster – takes time. And there simply wasn’t a deal to be had yet.
This is where things get really interesting. With no agreement in sight, you simply don’t anchor lawmakers in Washington with nothing to do. There’s nothing to vote on. There are no committee meetings scheduled. All tethering lawmakers to DC does is stir up trouble.
There’s a line in the song “Trouble” in The Music Man by Meredith Willson: “The idle brain is the devil’s playground.” Who knows what kinds of mischief you would have, just making very cranky lawmakers hang around Washington for days – without anything to vote on. Keeping everyone here does not contribute to securing a deal. Yes, all 532 House and Senate Members (there are two House vacancies) must eventually be dialed-in to vote on a bill to fund DHS. But we aren’t there yet. A handful of Members in the House, Senate and people at the White House will be the ones to negotiate an agreement. Rank-and-file Members marooned in Washington with nothing to do but post outrageous things on social media and appear on cable TV is counterproductive.
Now, let’s look at the other scenario of being close to an agreement. House and Senate leaders may believe they are still a little short of votes. But if something is viable, leaders know they can nail down the votes with some arm-twisting, legislative and ego massaging and a few forceful phone calls. Yes, that process may require elbow grease. But in that instance, keeping everyone in Washington for a few extra days and blowing up a long-awaited Congressional recess actually helps the process.
DHS SHUTDOWN LEAVES LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ON THEIR OWN AMID EXTREME WEATHER, EXPERT WARNS
TSA officers, Coast Guard members and FEMA staff are working without pay as the DHS funding lapse drags on.(Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
Why?
Think of the Stockholm Syndrome. You demand that everyone stay in Washington for an extra day or two and the “hostages” will start to come around to the viewpoints of their captors. Yes, everyone is frustrated and mad. But they feel the bill is something they can support and finally end this triumvirate of government shutdowns. In this case, the fustigation builds – but just a little. Everyone is happy to vote yes and rush off of Capitol Hill.
If they were close to nailing down an agreement on DHS funding, then Congressional leaders would have deployed a version of the Stockholm Syndrome to wrap up everything.
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But with no deal, leaders were more afraid of the mayhem they may trigger by keeping everyone in Washington. The devil would romp freely through the playground of idle brains.
So how will you know when there’s a deal?
When everyone’s present and accounted for.
Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.
