Cory Mills: 'If We Cannot Shut Down Border, Shut Down the Government'

As Congress returns after the August recess,  Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) plan to include the SAVE Act in a continuing resolution is a significant facet of the next few weeks. Representative Cory Mills (R-FL) spoke to the press on Capitol Hill, expressing dissatisfaction with a continuing resolution, calling for spending cuts in addition to border security. If that could not happen, he said the government should shut down.

"The key things that I can look at right now is, do you reform? Do you repeal, or do you actually just continue to re-energize the same thing? We cannot look at the +$36 trillion in debt and say that this was just done under Republicans or just Democrats. It was done under both," said Rep. Mills.

The Florida Congressman blasted the "uniparty alliance" that seeks to "continue to do the same DC status quo" and suggested it must be challenged.

"If we do not have an economic growth strategy, then how do we get our [gross domestic product]-national debt ratio inverted? If we have not thought about this in the 118th Congress, the question [from] the American people should be, 'Why and what are they going to do in the 119th Congress? We will be right back here doing the exact same thing," Rep. Mills continued.

As a result, he implored Congress to prepare "to be working all night, whether we are here till 3, 4 AM, which we were to do in 13, 14 series of votes for Speaker. We need to do our job with the American people. And if we are not, if we cannot shut the border down, I am in favor of shutting the government down."

Mills quickly clarified that "when it comes to our veterans, our [military construction and Veterans Affairs], that has been passed," in addition to consulates and Homeland Security.

"So do not let it be sold that we are somehow shutting all of government down when the key critical assets have already been done. What we are not going to pass is things that actually help prop up the FBI for their billion-dollar increased budget so they can build a new facility when we have not looked at the necessary reforms to be able to go ahead and cut down and start repealing things that are no longer necessary," Mills concluded.