Bresnahan Leads Letter Demanding House Leadership End DHS Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC: Today, U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) led his fellow lawmakers in sending a letter urging House Republican leadership to bring an end to the current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown by putting the Senate-passed funding bill on the House Floor. The letter was signed by Reps. Don Bacon (NE-02) and Mike Lawler (NY-17).

"Funding the government is the most basic part of our job," wrote the lawmakers. "Yet, because of Democrat obstruction, we are now 70 days into this shutdown, and the men and women who keep our country safe are paying the price."

The House of Representatives has voted to fund DHS four times, but each time, the legislation has been met with a stalemate in the Senate. DHS, which has now been shut down for 70 days, includes critical agencies like the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"Now that Senate Republicans are making progress on a clean reconciliation package to fund and strengthen our border security, we should match that progress here in the House by taking up and passing the Senate-passed funding bill and reopening DHS without any further delay," continued the lawmakers. "This will provide the resources these agencies need to carry out their mission, bring stability for their workforce, and deliver funding for local projects…It's time to do our job, fund DHS, and stand with the men and women who keep our country safe."

You can read the full letter here or below:

Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, and Majority Whip Emmer,

We write to urge immediate action to bring the Senate-passed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill to the House Floor for a vote. Funding the government is the most basic part of our job. Yet, because of Democrat obstruction, we are now 70 days into this shutdown, and the men and women who keep our country safe are paying the price.

We are proud that the House has led the way, voting four times to fully fund DHS and its critical agencies like the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who stand on the front lines every day keeping Americans safe, responding to disasters, and securing our skies. We thank President Trump for taking action to keep paychecks signed up until now, but the men and women carrying out this critical work deserve long term certainty, not stopgap measures that leave them wondering when their next paycheck will come or whether their agency will have the resources needed to do its job.

Unfortunately, all but one Senate Democrat decided to cave to their "defund ICE" and pro-open border base and refused to advance our full DHS funding bills. That decision has only prolonged uncertainty for workers and the communities they serve, forcing Republicans to take matters into our own hands. Now that Senate Republicans are making progress on a clean reconciliation package to fund and strengthen our border security, we should match that progress here in the House by taking up and passing the Senate-passed funding bill and reopening DHS without any further delay.

This will provide the resources these agencies need to carry out their mission, bring stability for their workforce, and deliver funding for local projects. It will allow us to move forward with the work ahead, including advancing FY 2027 appropriations and delivering real relief for the American people.

It's time to do our job, fund DHS, and stand with the men and women who keep our country safe.

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