Congressman Fong Slams Senate Democrats’ Shutdown for Putting Homeland Security at Risk
Today, Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) issued the below statement on Senate Democrats’ refusal to pass the full-year Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which was already passed by the House in a bipartisan vote. By blocking an extension of DHS funding this week, Senate Democrats are causing a shutdown of DHS that is set to begin at midnight tonight.
“Democrats have once again chosen to shut down the government, abandoning responsible governance and forcing the men and women of FEMA, TSA, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard to work without pay,” said Congressman Fong. “Shutting down the Department of Homeland Security is irresponsible; it threatens operations that ensure the safety and security of American communities, from our transportation systems to our cybersecurity and critical infrastructure and emergency response capabilities. Even law enforcement programs that help children and trafficking victims will be impacted. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to abandon their reckless decision and work with Republicans to make our communities stronger and the homeland safer for all Americans.”
In a shutdown, many of DHS’ more than 250,000 employees will be forced to work without pay. Since ICE and CBP already received billions of dollars in funding last year, immigration enforcement and construction of the border wall will largely continue without interruption. However, the shutdown will disproportionately harm DHS’s other components, which are responsible for disaster response, cybersecurity, transportation security, and infrastructure protection.
BACKGROUND:
In January, the House passed six final appropriations bills, including a bipartisan agreement to fund DHS for a full fiscal year. In addition to funding to support the personnel and missions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), this legislation also provided funding for ICE body-worn cameras, deescalation training, and resources for DHS’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to enhance transparency.
In the Homeland Security Committee’s oversight hearing earlier this week, leaders from DHS testified that a shutdown would undermine inter-agency coordination and hinder the agency’s ability to effectively protect the homeland. You can watch Congressman Fong’s remarks and his back-and-forth with the witnesses here.