Location: WROC-TV (Channel 8) studio, Rochester, NY
Participants: NY 23rd Congressional Candidate John Plumb, Rep. Tom Reed, and WROC-TV reporter Allison Warren
Event: Plumb and Reed met with Warren separately to discuss National Security. Follow this link to see the 2:21 minute segment and/or read the full article.
The conflict: John Plumb implied that Rep. Reed voted to shut down the Department of Homeland Security:
“I certainly wouldn’t vote to shut down the Department of Homeland Security,” Plumb said. “If you have concerns with the way it’s working, let’s make it better, but defunding it only makes us less safe.
Rep. Reed denied voting to shut it down:
“I’m not aware of any votes where we voted to shut anything down, so I’ll let my opponent speak for the accusations and attacks that he may try to raise out of his D.C. style,” said Reed.
Facts:
- In October 2014, Congress and President Obama agreed on a tentative two year budget, but the Department of Homeland Security was not included.
- They still needed to negotiate the DHS budget. They set February 28, 2015 as the deadline for an agreement.
- On February 27, the Senate approved funding the Department of Homeland Security , 68-31. House Speaker Boehner decided to continue to discuss the issue instead of taking a vote. The House and President agreed to extend the deadline to March 6.
- On March 3 the House approved “Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes” (H.R. 240, Roll Call Vote Number 109 of 2015). The vote was 257-166.
- Rep. Reed voted NAY; he voted NOT TO APPROPRIATE funds for the Department of Homeland Security.
- If H.R. 240 was defeated DHS would need to shut down their operations.
Conclusion: The last paragraph of the WROC-TV article indicates that they still question the validity of 
Rep. Reed’s “I’m not aware…” statement.
Congressman Reed was involved with the government shutdown during budget negotiations. He stands by his opinion there needs to be changes in spending, but says there was no vote to specifically shut down the DHS.
Reed is playing word games. H.R. 240 didn’t literally say that Homeland Security would shut down if the funds were denied, but the whole government realized the importance of this bill.
Rep. Reed should explain his thinking on this vote.
New NY 23rd 
“I’m not aware of any votes where we voted to shut **** anything down**** …. says Tom Reed?
Delusional? Or hoping constituents have forgotten?
“Voted to Shut Down the Government. In 2013, Pearce voted for
an extreme House Republican continuing resolution that the
Associated Press reported would “likely result” in the shutdown of
the federal government. The bill passed 230-189. [HJ Res 59,
Vote #478, 9/20/13; Associated Press, 8/23/13]”
“Voted Against a Bipartisan Compromise Plan to Re-open
Government, Avert Debt Default. In October 2013, just days
before the U.S. government could have defaulted on its
obligations, Reed voted against a bipartisan compromise that
would re-open the federal government and avert a catastrophic
debt default. The bill passed 285-144. [HR 2775, Vote #550,
10/16/13; New York Times, 10/16/13]”
Click to access not-for-me-government-shurtdown.pdf
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Good points, Deb. Bills are never titled “Proposal to Shut Down the United States Government”. If you vote NOT to approve to keep the agency operational, then you are voting to shut it down. One article mentioned it was a partial shut down.I took that to mean that there was a little funding left over from the previous budget, and an skeleton staff would be manning the offices.
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Also, can we just note that the clause “that he may try to raise out of his D.C. style” is gibberish? Clearly Reed is on the defensive here, knowing that he’s lying (which, as I’ve said elsewhere, he is remarkably comfortable with) and hoping to deflect attention away from that with his whole “DC” conceit. He is a complete embarrassment.
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Reed, like Trump, thrives on the fact that reporters are ill-prepared themselves. So, he can lie and get away with it. The reporter should have immediately pointed out Reed’s vote. Too often politicians make unchallenged statements and get away with it.
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I have emailed Allison Warren informing her about H.R. 240, but have not received a response, yet.
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Do any of you people that are ripping on Reed even understand how these bills are put together? If you say he voted to shut down the government by voting ‘nay’ on a bill that included earmarked funding for other things he didn’t think we needed, then by your own logic, the Democrats are responsible for the Federal Government shutdown when they voted ‘nay’ and Obama threatened a veto for the many budget proposals that the GOP led House approved. So, which is it? You can’t have it both ways. Unless, of course, you’re a mental midget left winger.
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I know how bills are put together. They are complex and often filled with earmarks and extras, as you point out. Sometimes with irrelevant additions which have nothing to do with the primary focus of the law.
For example. In the cases ,mentioned the GOP added IMMIGRATION restrictions on a Homeland Security bill. However, when Mr Obama refused to sign a bill with inappropriate restrictions on the immigration issue and demanded a “clean ” bill, the GOP finally relented. He signed the bill IMMEDIATELY.
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/03/03/homeland-funding-appears-on-track-minus-immigration-add-ons
It was this “clean ” bill that Reed voted against. There were no “earmarks” or extras. . It dealt with Homeland Security. Border guards, funding, etc. When the GOP compromised with Mr Obama in order to keep our borders secure, Mr Reed voted NAY. He did not get his way. So, Reed did vote to shut down Homeland Security by opposing a clean bill. That is simply a fact.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/240
Regarding Mr Obama’s threatened vetoes. Yes. he has threatened to veto poorly written legislation and legislation that has “poison pills”. The bill to rescind the ACA. Like the original Homeland Security bill. All presidents have done so. But he has never threatened to SHUT DOWN the US government if does not get his way. That seems to be a tactic of the radical fringe (Ted Cruz) of the GOP.
There is a significant difference between the two. Mr Obama seeks to compromise, as he must, with the GOP Congress. The more radical elements of the GOP Congress seek to control the government, resisting compromise. Reed seems to simply go along with the more radical group. And how he has tied himself to Donald Trump.
For the record Obama has vetoed or pocket vetoed 10 bills in 7.5 years. Even though he has faced a hostile Congress for 5.5 of those years. GW Bush vetoed 12. Clinton 37. GHW Bush 44 ( in 4 years), Reagan vetoed 78. Obama has been very slow to veto.
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