House Committee on Homeland Security Republicans welcomed the signing of H.R.7147 by President Trump on May 1, which funds most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Fiscal Year 2026 and ends what they called a Democrat-led shutdown. Committee leaders thanked DHS employees who continued working during months of financial uncertainty.
The issue is significant because the shutdown affected more than 250,000 DHS employees, disrupting disaster response, cybersecurity efforts, transportation security, and border protection. The lapse in funding also strained coordination with state and local partners and weakened national security posture.
Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino said: “For 76 days, Congressional Democrats forced a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security as we face evolving threats both at home and abroad. As Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I’m glad that today we fully funded TSA, FEMA, CISA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and other vital components so the men and women on the front lines can get back to focusing on their mission. As a lifelong New Yorker and representative of a community forever marked by 9/11, I know how important that mission is. While the majority of the Department has now been funded, I remain committed to ensuring every component of DHS, including those tasked with border security, has the resources and oversight needed to succeed.”
Subcommittee leaders also voiced support for full funding across all DHS entities. Michael Guest said: “I am pleased to see the end of the Democrat-led shutdown…Republicans will continue to support DHS and the important work they do to keep our country safe and secure.” Dale Strong added: “With President Trump’s support…this bill finally puts an end to the Democrat-led Department of Homeland Security shutdown—with none of the Democrats’ radical policy demands attached.” August Pfluger stated: “For 76 days…Democrats held DHS funding hostage…I will not stop fighting until every DHS entity is fully funded.”
Background provided by committee materials notes that in January Congress passed appropriations bills including bipartisan agreements for full-year funding for body cameras at ICE facilities as well as resources for de-escalation training and transparency initiatives at OIG. Testimony from agency officials during hearings highlighted negative impacts from delayed or absent federal funds—particularly ahead of major events like this summer’s FIFA World Cup games.
Looking forward, committee members say their next priority is securing complete funding for remaining parts such as Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Michael McCaul said: “Our next order of business must be fully funding CBP and ICE — including ICE’s crucial Homeland Security Investigations office…”
