Day 40: Senate Democrats Continue to Abdicate Their Article I Responsibilities

March 25, 2026
Press Release

Washington, D.C. – The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for 40 days, making it the longest partial government shutdown in history, and nearing the record-breaking 43-day total government shutdown from last fall. 
 
Democrats continue to block funding for DHS over radical demands to impede our border security and immigration removal operations, despite the fact that CBP and ICE are both critical to our national security.

Just last week, an 18-year-old student was killed by an illegal immigrant in Chicago. The shooter was released into the country under the Biden Administration's open border policies, and had even been arrested before in 2023 - yet was released. The Trump Administration has prioritized removing violent criminal aliens that the Biden Administration allowed into our nation, but Democrats seek to halt that work and allow criminals like this murderer to remain in our communities.

This is not an isolated incident. Countless Americans have been murdered, raped, assaulted, and robbed by violent, repeat offenders who all have one thing in common: they entered this country illegally, and the Biden Administration allowed them to stay.

Senate Democrats continue to protect violent illegal aliens at the expense of over 100,000 DHS employees who have been without pay for 40 days. They continue to hamper our national security to stop the Trump Administration from securing the border and enforcing immigration law.

Senate Democrats have had five opportunities to fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year with the bipartisan, bicameral deal they originally agreed to in January. The House has passed this bill twice with bipartisan majorities, and will once again vote on full-year DHS funding this week.

Democrats have had opportunity after opportunity to do the right thing, pass DHS funding, and uphold their Article I responsibilities. They have failed at every turn.

  Timeline of the FY26 Homeland Security Funding Process

  • June 24, 2025 | Committee Passes the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Passed Committee with a bipartisan vote of 36-27
  • January 19, 2026 | A bicameral, bipartisan deal was reached to fund DHS and the remaining appropriations bills
  • January 22, 2026 | House Passes the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 220-207
  • February 11, 2026 | Homeland Security Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Impact of Potential DHS Shutdown
  • February 12, 2026 | Senate Democrats Block the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Cloture failed with a vote of 52-47
  • February 24, 2026 | Senate Democrats Block the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Cloture failed with a vote of 50-45
  • March 5, 2026 | Senate Democrats Block the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Cloture failed with a vote of 51-45
  • March 5, 2026 | House Passes the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, Again
    Passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 221-209
  • March 12, 2026 | Senate Democrats Block the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Cloture failed with a vote of 51-46
  • March 20, 2026 | Senate Democrats Block the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
    Cloture failed with a vote of 47-37

While wait times at our nation's airports remain the most visible pain point of the Democrats' reckless shutdown, our national security continues to be at risk while the U.S. Secret Service, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, FEMA, and more are unfunded.

It's unconscionable that Democrats continue to block funding for the employees who keep our nation safe. These are high-pressure roles – and that pressure is compounded by the fact that they have been working without pay for 40 days. These patriots deserve better from Congress; the American people deserve better from Congress.

Democrats will have the opportunity again this week to fund DHS in full. It's long past time for them to make the right choice.

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