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Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are continuing to trade blame as a month-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security drags on.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Employees who work for the Department of Homeland Security have gone weeks without stable funding after appropriations for the agency expired on Feb. 14, leaving the department partially shut down for nearly a month. This has impacted many agencies housed under DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the US Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Many workers classified as essential (such as TSA officers, Coast Guard personnel, and emergency response staff) are still required to report to work but are doing so without pay, while some nonessential employees have been furloughed. Lawmakers from both parties have warned that if Congress fails to reach a deal soon, the prolonged shutdown could strain homeland security operations and increase risks to the United States, particularly amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

What Republicans are saying: Republican lawmakers have accused Democrats of prolonging the shutdown by refusing to negotiate on a full funding bill and using the standoff to force “unrealistic” changes to federal immigration enforcement. GOP senators argue Democrats are playing political games by seeking to “defund” law enforcement responsible for securing the border and stopping drugs from entering the country. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama said the Democrats’ last proposal would undermine officers tasked with protecting Americans, warning Republicans “are not going back to the era of ‘defund the police.’”

Republican leaders also say Democrats are responsible for the consequences of the shutdown, including TSA officers working without pay and growing security line delays at airports nationwide. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP officials have argued Republicans are willing to negotiate on reforms to immigration enforcement, but insist the department must be fully funded rather than carved up in pieces.

What Democrats are saying: Democratic lawmakers say the shutdown is the result of Republicans refusing to agree to reforms that would increase “accountability” for federal immigration agents, arguing they will not approve new funding for enforcement agencies without safeguards in place. Senate Democrats maintain that their last proposal to fund agencies like the TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard would immediately restore pay for thousands of workers while negotiations over ICE & CBP continue. Notably, this funding bill failed to pass after Republicans voted against it.

Following the vote, Senator Patty Murray said Democrats are not willing to approve what she called a “blank check” for immigration enforcement after fatal shootings involving ICE agents, arguing that Americans’ rights and safety require “stronger oversight” of federal operations. Democratic leaders also reject Republican claims that they are responsible for the shutdown’s consequences, insisting they have offered a path to reopen most of the department while talks continue.

This all comes as there has been a notable uptick in TSA sick calls. According to an internal TSA memo obtained by CBS, sick calls have “doubled,” with more than 300 employees leaving the agency since the start of the DHS shutdown. The callouts have resulted in longer lines at TSA checkpoints at multiple airports, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York.