The U.S. House re-passed the 2026 Homeland Security funding bill in a symbolic vote Thursday, amping up pressure on Democrats as DHS remains shuttered while the U.S. engages in military hostilities with Iran.
Four Democrats joined Republicans in the 221-209 vote, only hours after Senate Democrats again voted to keep DHS closed. They say they will oppose any funding bill that fails to adopt their proposed restrictions on immigration enforcement activities.
The successful House vote accomplished nothing except providing Republicans with another opportunity to point out the risks of keeping DHS agencies closed. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters that “everybody in America better watch that board.”
This is the second time in less than six months that Democrats have forced a shutdown over policy demands, with the most recent lasting a record-long 43 days.
With no federal funding, DHS employees deemed “essential” – including TSA agents and most members of FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service – must work without pay during a shutdown, while the rest are furloughed. While those agencies haven’t closed, they have ceased nonessential operations.
“Democrats continue to refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Their message is clear: the safety of our homeland is not their priority,” Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., posted on social media. “Democrats are willing to risk the security of America to play politics.”
Calls for greater accountability in DHS erupted after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in January, the second killing during that month of a U.S. citizen protesting in Minneapolis.
Democrats’ policy demands include prohibiting DHS agents from wearing masks, racially profiling, indiscriminately arresting people, tracking protestors, or entering private property without a judicial warrant in addition to an immigration court warrant.
Other changes Democrats want to see include requiring agents to display ID, wear body cameras, and obtain the consent of states and localities to conduct large-scale operations, among other things.
The Trump administration threw cold water on most of the proposals, arguing that personal ID requirements would endanger agents and that requiring judicial warrants or making “sensitive” locations off-limits would handicap the agency’s ability to do its job.
But the White House has also taken some conciliatory steps as well, such as implementing body-worn cameras and ending roving patrols. President Donald Trump also ousted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday ahead of both DHS votes.
The changes, however, remain insufficient for most Democrats.
“I’ve been saying for months that Kristi Noem has got to go. But changing the name on the door doesn’t change the fact that this Administration’s DHS has caused chaos in our communities for months, ripped families apart, and killed American citizens,” Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., stated. “I won’t support any funding for DHS until this rogue agency is held accountable from top to bottom.”
