U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, toured Montgomery, Madison and Grimes counties with local law enforcement Feb. 19 in a series of press conferences calling on U.S. Senate democrats to stop filibustering the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. Although the House of Representatives has already passed the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, H.R. 240, Senate democrats have blocked attempts to bring a bill to a vote in the Senate, leading to concerns of a funding lapse if the Feb. 27 deadline to extend funding is not met. H.R. 240 provides about $39.7 billion in discretionary funding to DHS through Sept. 30—an increase of $400 million from fiscal year 2014. However, progress of the funding bill has stalled in Congress largely due to sparring between House republicans and Senate democrats over immigration provisions included in the bill—which also seeks to reverse President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration. The house bill's provisions would stop Obama's executive order issued in November that provides work visas and other avenues for nearly 5 million illegal immigrants in the country. The bill would also freeze the president's 2012 executive action that provided a way for many young illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, some legal documents and to legally work within the country, Brady said. A DHS funding lapse could affect local Montgomery County law enforcement efforts as well, Sherriff Tommy Gage said, stating that local law enforcement experiences additional strain because the Department of Public Safety sends local troopers, Texas Rangers and game wardens to border regions. "When they go that picks up our workload here as far as enforcement in this county, and it is a very busy county," Gage said. Additionally, Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable said his office depends on collaboration with DHS to help execute search warrants and seizing assets. The constable's office also requires their assistance in computer forensics and translation services needed to analyze equipment confiscated due to child Internet crimes and human trafficking. "It is going to [have a] pretty huge effect on a local level," Gable said. Brady said a funding lapse could have similar effects as the partial shutdown the federal government experienced in October 2013. "What we do know from the partial shutdown more than a year ago is that nearly 90 percent of the employees at Homeland Security are essential workers; they will stay on the job, but they won't be getting paid," Brady said. "The 10 percent that is not being done is a concern for me. I think it is really critical that we keep every element in security in place." Additionally, Brady also applauded U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen's Feb. 16 ruling to grant a request from Texas and 25 other states to block the president's immigration initiatives until lawsuits challenging his executive orders are resolved. Brady said the ruling could open new avenues to bring immigration concerns to the table for debate. "That court ruling may buy a way for us to have and set up another full debate, but the worry is that the same thing will happen again," Brady said. "I don't know what the Senate will do, but stop ducking the debate on the president's immigration order. Stand where you stand, and let this thing [move] forward."