Record DHS shutdown to continue as Congress stays away until April 13
WASHINGTON, DC: The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), now the longest in US history, is set to drag on as lawmakers are not scheduled to return to Washington until the week of April 13.
At 45 days, the funding lapse has surpassed previous records, with DHS remaining the lone major federal department still unfunded.
The standoff stems from Democratic demands for reforms to immigration enforcement agencies following two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis.
Calls grow to end congressional recess
Calls to cut the recess short are gaining traction.
Republican Senator Mike Lee urged leadership to reconvene Congress immediately, arguing that delaying action reduces pressure on Democrats to negotiate.
He also noted that the president has the authority to call Congress back into session under extraordinary circumstances, though it remains unclear whether that step will be taken.
Senate plan stalls amid GOP divisions
After weeks of negotiations, the Senate shifted strategy and passed a bipartisan measure to fund most DHS operations while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection.
The move reflected growing concern over the strain on other agencies, particularly the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which has struggled to maintain airport security operations during the shutdown.
The measure was approved unanimously after Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to ensure TSA officers are paid.
House pushes competing bill and looks for common ground
House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, rejected the Senate’s approach, calling it inadequate. Johnson dismissed the plan as a “joke” and instead advanced a 60-day continuing resolution to fund the entire department temporarily.
The House passed the measure late Friday with support from only three Democrats, deepening the stalemate between the two chambers.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is working with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to find common ground. However, Schumer’s office signaled Democrats would not accept anything less than the Senate’s unanimously approved bill.
With Republicans holding 53 seats in the Senate, bipartisan support is required to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to advance most legislation.
Workers unpaid and agencies stretched
White House border czar Tom Homan criticized lawmakers for remaining on recess while thousands of DHS employees go unpaid.
“The president found a way to pay TSA workers so we can get the American public through those lines,” Homan said, adding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are assisting TSA staff at airports during the impasse.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump praised ICE personnel and said the administration would continue paying TSA workers “for as long as we have to,” even as broader funding for DHS remains unresolved.
