Republican lawmakers praise Operation Epic Fury, honor fallen troops and press Democrats to fund DHS

House Republican leaders used a Washington conference to press for full funding of the Department of Homeland Security, praise recent military action in the Middle East and honor service members killed in recent strikes.

Chairwoman Lisa McClain opened the event by calling the Iranian regime "not a partner for peace" and saying it has "already murdered hundreds of Americans," framing the threat as immediate and arguing that "peace through strength" and the Trump administration's response are necessary to keep the country safe. She accused Democrats of "playing politics with national security" by withholding DHS funding and cited what she described as "more than 380 people on the terrorist watch list" crossing into U.S. borders.

The gathering highlighted Operation Epic Fury. Chairman Crawford praised the operation as "a testament of the leadership of the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department," and said the administration had shown an "unprecedented level of transparency." Several speakers tied the operation to the need for sustained homeland security resources.

Representative Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) recounted his military and law-enforcement background and urged colleagues to pass what he called the "homeland safety appropriations package," saying the nation's security depends on paying and supporting TSA, Coast Guard and other DHS personnel. Representative Marionette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) honored two Iowans—Major Jeffrey O'Brien and Sergeant Declan Cody—killed by Iranian strikes in Kuwait and urged continued support for troops and veterans.

Representative Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) said he would receive the remains of two more service members, named Sergeant Deacon Cody and Major Jeffrey O'Brien, and said six service members have been killed and nine wounded. Nunn described evacuation efforts and criticized the DHS shutdown for depriving employees of pay and complicating family support for service members.

Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) urged unity behind the military and asked colleagues across the aisle to "step up and support our military," saying "this is a time to be unified" rather than to "play politics." Representative Nick Lodal argued Democrats were blocking the DHS funding bill and said the package funds coast guard, TSA and cybersecurity professionals.

In a question-and-answer session, an attendee asked whether the conference would accept Democrats' demands tied to the DHS bill (including limits on ICE operations near polling places); Chairwoman McClain replied that the conference "funded ICE" and would not agree to measures that she said would put Americans at risk. Chairman Crawford added that the president "plays a role in the legislative process." When asked why House Republican leadership asked Representative Gonzalez to withdraw from the race, McClain said leadership asked him to withdraw and "we didn't call for him to resign," referring reporters to the leadership statement.

The event combined policy appeals for immediate DHS funding with tributes to recently killed service members. No formal legislative action or vote occurred during the session; speakers urged passage of the DHS appropriations package in Congress as the next step.