Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., stated on Friday that severe flooding across Wisconsin is occurring alongside what he described as ongoing Democratic obstruction of Department of Homeland Security funding, jeopardizing critical agencies like FEMA during the crisis.
In remarks on Friday, Wied described worsening conditions in his home state as heavy rains threatened infrastructure.
“We’re dealing with major flooding right now, serious risks to dams where FEMA is going to be needed,” he said, warning that federal disaster support would be essential.
Wied also criticized Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., for voting against DHS funding as the state faces a growing natural disaster.
“Our senator, Tammy Baldwin, continues to vote to defund FEMA along with the Department of Homeland Security,” Wied said.
He emphasized that he has repeatedly supported full funding for the Department of Homeland Security but noted those efforts have stalled in Washington.
“I voted four times to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, and Democrats continue to be obstructionist, continue to fight, fight, fight against President [Donald] Trump at all costs, while meanwhile putting Americans at risk,” Wied stated.
Wied added that many DHS employees have gone without pay for weeks, and immigration enforcement agencies are not meeting their targets.
“They’re not even hitting their intended target,” he said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “They’re taking away pay for the great men and women of TSA … taking away funding for FEMA.”
He argued that the funding impasse reflects deeper problems in Congress, particularly in the Senate.
“The Senate is broken,” Wied said. “That’s why we need to go through the reconciliation process, Republicans alone, and get DHS fully funded once and for all.”
Wied framed Democrat opposition as politically motivated rather than policy-driven.
“In my short time here in politics … the reason that they’re doing it is to be obstructionist, to stop the successes of Republicans and President Trump at all costs,” he said. “They’re willing to inflict pain on the American people. That’s the only thing I can see — it is completely political.”
Back home, Wied described a dire situation across multiple counties with floodwaters rising and communities scrambling to respond.
“It is a disaster, no question,” he said. “We’re getting so much rain right now and it’s putting many of the dams at serious risk.”
Still, Wied praised residents for coming together in the face of hardship.
“We’re seeing people coming from all over to help, whether they’re filling sandbags, doing everything they can to help their neighbors in need,” he said. “I just cannot give the people of northeastern Wisconsin enough credit. They really are sticking together and helping each other.”
