Day 41: Rep. Newhouse – Democrats Must Come to the Table to Fund Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. – As the Democrat-directed shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) marks its 41st day, another troubling milestone is fast approaching: surpassing last year’s historic lapse. With each passing day, the consequences grow more severe – undermining national security and placing an increasing strain on the workforce tasked with keeping Americans safe.
Today, House Republicans are once again giving Democrats an opportunity to end this dangerous impasse. The shutdown has already forced more than 100,000 DHS employees to miss paychecks, driven over 480 TSA officers to quit, and led to an estimated $2.5 billion in economic losses. At the same time, the FEMA disaster relief fund is nearing depletion, raising the alarming prospect that a major disaster or emergency could exhaust available resources entirely.
These are not abstract consequences – they are the direct result of Senator Schumer and Democrat leadership obstruction.
Appropriator and Homeland Security Subcommittee member Dan Newhouse wrote a timely op-ed in The Center Square urging Democrats to do the right thing and fund DHS. You can read the full piece here and below.
Democrats Must Come to the Table to Fund Homeland Security
By Rep. Dan Newhouse
March 25, 2026
For more than a month, Senate Democrats have blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to try and advance policies that make our country less safe. This has resulted in Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, Coast Guardsmen, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) agents going without pay while critical counterterrorism and drug enforcement actions are halted.
I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing legislation to ensure crucial agencies in DHS are funded and resume operations.
Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have blocked this effort not once, not twice or three times – but five times. Congress has a Constitutional responsibility to fund the federal government, and with 11 of 12 departments funded until the end of the fiscal year, we must end the political games and re-open the Department of Homeland Security.
Democrats have pushed extreme reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) operations, in spite of public opinion supporting the deportation of criminal illegal aliens. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act signed into law in July 2025 provides ICE with funding until 2029, meaning the current lapse in funding for DHS does not impact their immigration enforcement actions.
As the DHS shutdown drags on, airport security lines grow longer. In major airports across the U.S., wait times are over three hours long, and more than 400 TSA agents have quit their jobs. Further, with ongoing military action in Iran, domestic counterterrorism operations have been strained. CISA is operating at a limited capacity, making critical cyber and communications networks susceptible to attacks from our adversaries. Allies of Iran, including Russia and Communist China, are emboldened to pursue attacks of critical infrastructure and our energy grid.
FEMA has nearly tapped its Disaster Relief Fund – backup funding account – and is on the brink of having no resources to respond and recover from natural disasters. Additionally, FEMA has halted almost all critical trainings for emergency managers, which undermines our ability to prepare for emergencies.
If an earthquake, wildfire, or major flooding were to occur, our response and recovery would be inadequate.
All of this can be fixed immediately by the Senate if they move the House’s funding legislation. With Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed to replace Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security can refocus its efforts on securing our nation against domestic threats, securing our border, and responding to emergencies.
It’s time to put the partisan games aside and fund DHS.
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