“The Security of Our Homeland is Not a Game”: Homeland Republicans Warn of Long-Term Impacts from Democrat DHS Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Committee on Homeland Security Republicans are warning of the long-term impacts of the Democrats' Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, which has now surpassed 50 days. Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) joined NewsNation's "Morning in America," Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) joined SiriusXM's "The Julie Mason Show," Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-SC) joined NewsNation's "Morning in America," Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) joined SiriusXM's "The Briefing with Steve Scully," and Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN) joined SiriusXM's "The Wilkow Majority " to discuss. Read and watch highlights below.

DHS has now been shut down for half of Fiscal Year 2026 due to Congressional Democrats, and officials have testified that the lapse has caused unnecessary strain on the DHS workforce, disrupted coordination with state and local partners, and could now be weakening the nation's security posture. Last month, the Committee held a hearing with testimony from Admiral Thomas Allan, Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard (USCG); Ha Nguyen McNeill, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA); Nicholas Andersen, Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); and Victoria Barton, Associate Administrator for the Office of External Affairs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Watch Subcommittee Chairman Guest's interview on NewsNation here .

On the national security impacts of the Democrats' shutdown, Subcommittee Chairman Guest said:

"I'm worried that Americans are less safe today during this shutdown. In a time in which we have a conflict in the Middle East, where we should be at a position of heightened security, we're not able to meet those demands because we have individuals who are not getting paid and are not able to come to work."

Listen to Rep. Fong's interview on SiriusXM POTUS here .

On how the funding lapse is disrupting security preparedness across DHS components, Rep. Fong said:

"It's very clear that the security of our homeland is not a game. We are facing a heightened threat landscape with everything going on, and it's more important now than ever that the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded…We have TSA agents who are leaving the agency. 458, I think, have left the agency so far during this shutdown… In California, we are planning for the World Cup and the Olympics…Security planning is being impacted right now, and that's not something that we want to hear. Our cybersecurity threats continue to intensify. They were happening before the Iranian conflict, but now we see Iran, China, and Russia, those cyberattacks are continuing to attack our installations, our government facilities, as well as our hospitals, our businesses. FEMA, we got wildfires, tornadoes. Those things are occurring right now, as we speak, throughout our country. We need FEMA operating at full strength so we can prepare for disasters."

On the core mission of DHS, Rep. Fong said:

"The tragedy that happened on 9/11 is the reason the Department of Homeland Security was created. It was created to bring every agency that was mission critical, [to ensure] that they were coordinating, they were talking, they were sharing intelligence, that there were no gaps in terms of operations…The mission that they are entrusted is to protect America, to protect us."

Watch Rep. Biggs' interview on NewsNation here.

On the impacts of the shutdown on the DHS workforce and their families, Rep. Biggs said:

"We have seen hard-working individuals suffer, and it's over political games. And we have tried to reason with the Democrats, but it's not about Democrats, it's not about Republicans. It's about doing what's right for the American people…Seeing that those workers going to work without a paycheck, worried about how they're going to keep their home, how they're going to feed their families, it's ridiculous… Now is not the time to be playing dangerous games. We are on high alert with the conflict going on, and we need to have everyone up and working and make sure that we are safe."

Listen to Rep. Evans' interview on SiriusXM POTUS here.

On how Democrats' anti-law enforcement agenda undermines our homeland security, Rep. Evans said:

"I spent 12 years in the Army. I was a police officer in the Denver metro area for another 10 years. And unfortunately, where we're at right now is Democrats have never truly moved on from their defund the police and open borders policies. They are in the minority here in Washington, D.C., so they can't actually defund law enforcement and open the border. So, they're doing the next best thing, which is absolutely refusing to pass the Department of Homeland Security funding bill, defunding some of the largest federal law enforcement agencies in the country. And they keep moving the goalposts. Anytime Republicans try to negotiate with them, they change things up. They move the goalposts because they're not really interested in a solution. They want issues to campaign on."

Listen to Rep. Van Epps' interview on SiriusXM Patriot here .

On how the shutdown is eroding collaboration between the public and private sectors, Rep. Van Epps said:

"The Coast Guard can't pay shipyards to maintain its fleet and contractors are reconsidering whether it even makes sense to do business with the federal government. I mean, it's just baffling to me. Now it's too risky to work with the U.S. Coast Guard because of this Democrat shutdown. I mean, the Coast Guard has such an important role to play domestically when we talk about our safety and security in the Arctic. I mean, the Coast Guard is key here, and maintaining their fleet is a key task and responsibility that they have to keep us safe, and the Democrats are preventing that."

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