Ciscomani Leads House Effort to Pay our Homeland Defenders

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani, Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, is leading the effort in the House to ensure our law enforcement and national security Agencies and personnel, including TSA agents and airport security, are fully funded through the Department of Homeland Security.

Today, the Arizona lawmaker introduced the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act (H.R. 8029), legislation aimed at providing funds to reopen the one federal Department that has been shut down since February 14, 2026.

"This standoff has gone on long enough," said Ciscomani. "As Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I'm proud to lead the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act to ensure that the men and women who keep our country safe are paid for their service. From TSA agents to the countless personnel working behind the scenes to protect our airports and national security, these professionals should never be caught in the middle of political games. This legislation is about doing what's right-making sure those who show up every day to defend our homeland can count on a paycheck."

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said, "Congressman Ciscomani's legislation reflects what is a basic, bipartisan principle - those who safeguard our homeland deserve to be paid, and to have full operational resources behind them. This Democrat shutdown is not just irresponsible, it is disrupting critical missions, threatening the livelihoods of hardworking Americans, and putting unnecessary strain on our national security. It is past time to end the standoff and fully fund DHS. The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act does exactly that - restoring pay, stability, and security without delay. This bill puts a simple choice in front of House and Senate Democrats - stand with our homeland personnel or continue their partisan shutdown."

Introduction of the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act by Congressman Ciscomani is consistent with his longstanding opposition to government shutdowns - full or partial - because of the harms it inflicts on working Americans.

This legislation 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 35 days, the ongoing DHS shutdown has disrupted critical operations, impacted the livelihoods of dedicated personnel, and weakened key components of our national security. This bill is a necessary step to restore stability, support our workforce, and ensure the safety of the American people.

Fiscal Year 2026 DHS Shutdown Facts:

• As of today, March 20, DHS employees have missed a full paycheck.
• The TSA callout rate is five times higher than normal.
• As of now, more than 300 TSA agents have quit.
• Due to staff shortages, security lines are longer, impacting travelers across the country.
• Longest partial shutdown in history.

Without immediate funding to DHS, these challenges will continue to escalate, further straining our workforce and jeopardizing national security.

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

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