The ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has entered its 35th day, with more than one hundred thousand employees working without pay, according to a March 20 statement. The situation has prompted leaders from major airlines and former government officials to urge Congress to restore full funding to DHS.
The shutdown affects several agencies responsible for national security, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Coast Guard, Secret Service, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, and Federal Protective Service. Many employees are either furloughed or working without compensation.
A letter signed by CEOs from ten major airlines called on Congress to act: "Once again, air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown... First, leaders should immediately come together to reach an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Then they need to act so this problem never happens again." The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board also addressed Senator Chuck Schumer in an editorial: "The only solution for today's crazy TSA lines is for Mr. Schumer to fund the Department of Homeland Security. If he won't, maybe he ought to go down to JFK Airport, put on a uniform, and help. While he's there, he can offer apologies to the public in person."
Former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson warned about the consequences of tying policy disputes to government funding: “We’ve got to get away from coupling policy disagreements in Congress with funding… It’s a national security issue right now.” Johnson highlighted that TSA officers are working without pay and morale is declining among frontline personnel: “How many sectors of American society are people told, ‘you have to go to work, but we’re not paying you’? … We are also compromising security. These are people we expect to look for bombs on aircraft that we and our families are about to board - and they’re not being funded to do this very, very important work.”
Johnson further stated that these issues extend beyond airport delays: “This is about aviation security, port security, maritime security, cybersecurity - a whole range of things that are not being funded at a very crucial moment.” In another interview he said: “The most basic function of Congress is to keep the lights on and fund the government… Let's not forget that we are now in a heightened threat environment because of the war with Iran. If there was ever a time that we needed to fund the Department of Homeland Security, it's right now.”
According to the official website, notable personnel include Republican members such as Harold Rogers and Democratic members like Steny Hoyer on the House Committee on Appropriations. The committee provides guidance for community project funding requests included in appropriations bills according to its official website. It also handles drafting twelve annual spending bills allocating federal funds for government operations according to its official website. Tom Cole currently serves as chairman according to its official website and marks the 43rd person in this role according to its official website. The committee influences policy through passing legislation such as Continuing Appropriations Acts according to its official website.
As bipartisan efforts continue in Congress—with two House-passed deals awaiting Senate action—the debate over DHS funding remains unresolved.
