Congressman August Pfluger of Texas’ 11th district appeared on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which he attributes to Senate Democrats. Pfluger, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former fighter pilot, provided his perspective on recent military operations and national security issues.
During the interview, Pfluger described Operation Epic Fury as a significant demonstration of American military capability. He said, “Democrats have less consideration for national security issues than grade school kids…This is in response to President Obama being the appeaser-in-chief for so many years. I’m a combat veteran. Iran and the terror regime have metastasized over the past 47 years, and it is a clear and present danger. President Trump has the lawful authority [to conduct Operation Epic Fury] under the Constitution under Article Two.”
Pfluger also discussed the importance of airpower in military strategy: “As an airman, Airpower has once again been highlighted in the ways that it can help affect strategic outcomes and prevent this terror threat from spreading even further. Airpower will make our world in the region even safer.”
On defense spending and readiness, he stated: “Maria, you are exactly right, and we should be focused on that [increasing weapons stockpiles and FY2027 defense spending]. And that’s the point. You can’t trust Democrats right now to do much of anything. The President is right. We do need to increase our stockpiles. We do need the manufacturers to get very serious about producing faster and more effectively. And Congress does need to increase our funding, because the threats are real. It’s not just Iran, as you mentioned. It is Russia. It is China. And my fellow colleagues, former fighter pilots, those that are on the ground, and those that are in naval ships right now, they need the best weapon systems, and they need them at the speed to defend and to prevent further conflicts around the world.”
Addressing border security concerns related to DHS funding delays attributed by him to Senate Democrats, Pfluger said: “We’re at a critical point right now. President Biden let in 10 million illegal aliens, those who are violent criminals, who pose a terror threat. We saw that in Austin, Texas, tragically, this past weekend. That’s the kind of threat we need to prevent from terrorizing our communities. 2025 and 2026, for Democrats, is going to be defined by a choice that they have made to not defend our homeland, to not keep our communities safe, which is really sad when you think about it.”
He continued: “This should be the most bipartisan thing that we do here. The Committee on Homeland Security was formed in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, and now they are defining themselves by saying ‘We don’t care about Homeland Security.’ And it’s not just that. It’s the impact on TSA; it’s the impact on everyday life for FEMA and disaster relief. It’s a sad situation; we’ve called on them [Democrats] to do the right thing—and they just refuse to do it.”
August Pfluger began serving as representative for Texas’ 11th district after winning election against Jon Mark Hogg in 2020 with nearly 80% of votes cast (https://ballotpedia.org/August_Pfluger). He succeeded Mike Conaway when he took office in January 2021 (https://pfluger.house.gov/about). Born in Houston in 1978 at age 44 as of this report’s date—he currently resides in San Angelo.