Ciscomani’s Bill to Pay Our Homeland Defenders Passes House

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani's legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security passed the House today with bipartisan support.

The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act (H.R. 8029) passed the House floor this afternoon with a 218-206 vote. The bill will provide funds to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since February 14, 2026.

As Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Congressman Ciscomani is committed to prioritizing our national security and supporting the members of law enforcement and the national security personnel who work to keep our nation safe.

Congressman Ciscomani spoke during debate on the House Floor prior to the vote. His remarks can be found HERE.

The congressman also posted the following video after the bill passed the House. Watch HERE.

The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act now goes to the U.S. Senate.

"Today, the House took action once again to stand with the men and women who defend our homeland every single day," said Ciscomani. "For more than 40 days, DHS personnel have done their jobs without receiving a paycheck because of political games in Washington. That is unacceptable. My Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act ensures that the hardworking men and women at TSA, CISA, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, the U.S. Secret Service, FEMA, and the U.S. Coast Guard are paid for the critical work they do to keep Americans safe. As a representative of a border district, with CBP, Border Patrol, TSA and other federal employees, and a state who experiences catastrophic wildfires and relies on FEMA, I am proud to stand with these men and women who should never be used as leverage in partisan fights, and I'm honored to lead this bill that passed the House today to support them and their families."

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said, "Every additional day Democrat leadership allows their shutdown to continue represents more lost paychecks, more airport delays for travelers, more risks to the homeland, and weakened readiness across our national security operations. Where the other side fails, House Republicans will step up and make clear whose priorities we represent - it is the American people's. The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act reflects a simple choice - do you want to defend national security - or defund it? I voted for our TSA, Secret Service, Coast Guard, cybersecurity experts, FEMA, and all DHS personnel who don't get to walk away from their duties. Senate Democrats can act now to resolve this. All they have to do is vote 'yes' and bring this shutdown to an end - no more disaster victims left waiting, no more travel disruptions, no more unnecessary risk. This should not be a partisan issue. It is about responsibility. It is about safety. And it is about delivering stability for the American people."

Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Mark Amodei said,"Withholding pay from DHS employees, disrupting travel, and undermining our national security preparedness are just a few of the consequences Democrats have been willing to risk as part of their anti-deportations messaging battle. Make no mistake, Republicans are focused on removing the worst first, and these charades are nothing more than an attempt to shield them from the policy realities that this administration ran and won on. This is manufactured chaos, and hardworking Americans who show up every day to keep us safe are being treated as collateral damage. It is our responsibility to ensure every federal agency has the resources it needs to keep operating, and it's past time to end the political shutdown cycle. This is now the third time the House has acted to reopen the department that defends our homeland. The Senate must finish the job and turn the lights back on."

Congressman Ciscomani has never supported a government shutdown - whether full or partial - and is proud to have led legislation that will bring the current DHS shutdown to an end.

The bill ensures full funding for the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

For 41 days, the ongoing DHS shutdown has hindered critical law enforcement operations necessary to ensure our country remains secure. Hardworking personnel committed to protecting the American people have gone over a month without pay. This shutdown has only harmed dedicated working Americans, and this bill is a necessary step to support our workforce and uphold the safety of American citizens.

Without the Senate's passage of this bill, challenges to the Department of Homeland Security's ability to protect our nation will persist.

You can read a summary and full text of the bill HERE.

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