Congressman Derek Schmidt Optimistic on Homeland Security Funding, Iran Ceasefire, and Tax Relief

Southeast Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt expressed confidence that Congress will soon resolve the remaining funding dispute for the Department of Homeland Security, while offering an upbeat assessment of recent U.S. actions against Iran and the positive effects of last year’s major tax legislation on Kansas families.

Schmidt, who was home in the district for the Easter recess and is preparing to return to Washington, D.C., next week, joined the Morning Newswatch on Friday morning.

The congressman described the current situation surrounding the final appropriations bill as “a very partial” government funding standoff, noting that 11 of the 12 annual spending bills have already been signed into law by President Trump — the most progress since the mid-1990s.

“We’ve made progress on making this government function the way it’s supposed to function,” Schmidt said. “I’m really optimistic we’re going to get that Homeland Security bill done.” 

He indicated the final package will likely resemble the Senate version more closely, largely because of the direction being pushed by the White House, but emphasized that the details of the process matter less than completing the work.

Schmidt noted that while Senate Democrats had reneged on an earlier agreement regarding funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there remains broad agreement on funding for the Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and cybersecurity agencies. “If we have to do the immigration agencies with only Republican votes… we’ll do that,” he added. “But we gotta get them done.”

On foreign policy, Schmidt addressed the ceasefire with Iran announced by President Trump. He acknowledged “concerning reports” that Iran may not be fully complying but stressed that Iran’s military capabilities have been significantly degraded.

“They’ve lost at least half of their missile capacity. They’ve lost nearly all of their senior leadership. They’ve lost thousands of fighters in the IRGC,” Schmidt said. “They’ve lost their ability to enrich uranium.” While not every U.S. objective has been met, he expressed hope that Iran’s existing stockpiles of enriched uranium will ultimately be secured or removed from the country.

“Our people want to see the fighting come to an end. We want to see the American mission accomplished and want to see our people come home,” he said.

With Tax Day approaching on April 15, Schmidt highlighted the benefits of the “one big beautiful bill” passed last summer, which included major tax changes such as the elimination of taxes on overtime pay.

“Positively,” he replied when asked how the changes are affecting Kansans. Nationwide, average tax refunds are up about 10 to 11 percent compared to last year, with Kansas numbers tracking closely. He noted that tax preparers in southeast Kansas reported many clients — particularly those in manufacturing and other overtime-heavy jobs — receiving significantly larger refunds.

“The disproportionate benefit seems to be from the no tax on overtime provision,” Schmidt said. “A lot of people who work very hard… have really benefited from that.” He added that in future years, many workers will see the benefit in their regular paychecks rather than as a large annual refund.

Finally, Schmidt praised the Department of Justice’s ongoing nationwide investigation into fraud in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, estimating up to $1 trillion annually in improper payments. Drawing on his 12 years as Kansas Attorney General, where his office recovered tens of millions through Medicaid fraud prosecutions, Schmidt said the federal effort is “long overdue.”