Congressman Pat Harrigan Votes to Fund All of DHS and Deliver Backpay to Federal Workers

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) voted in favor of an eight-week Continuing Resolution to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP, through May 22, 2026, and deliver backpay to DHS employees who have gone without compensation since the funding lapse began on February 14, 2026. The House rejected the Senate-passed bill, which would have funded DHS while providing nothing for ICE and CBP, the agencies responsible for securing our border and removing criminal illegal aliens, and instead passed a full CR that funds the entire department.

"For over 40 days, DHS employees have shown up to work and kept this country safe without knowing when their next paycheck was coming. That is unacceptable, and this CR is a critical step toward making it right," said Congressman Harrigan. "The Senate sent us a bill that funds our airports but left our border agencies without a dollar, and we sent it back. You cannot fund only half of our homeland security. If it is important to stop threats at our airports, it is just as important to stop threats at our border. You cannot protect the American people by choosing which dangers you feel like defending against. This Continuing Resolution funds all of DHS, gets our workers paid, and keeps negotiations moving forward. That is the right answer, and I am proud to support it."

The eight-week CR is the responsible path forward for the Department of Homeland Security and the American people. It delivers on several critical priorities:

• Funds the entire Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP, through May 22, 2026, keeping all agencies operational, unlike the Senate-passed bill which provided no funding for border security
• Delivers backpay to DHS employees who have worked without compensation since the partial shutdown began on February 14, 2026
• Provides TSA agents immediate relief after President Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to use available funds to resume their pay
• Preserves border security at a time when more than 382 individuals on the terrorist watchlist were stopped attempting to cross the southern border illegally between FY2021 and FY2024
• Keeps negotiations on a full-year funding solution moving without holding DHS employees and the American people hostage

The House has done its job, yet again. The bill is fully funded, the worker s will be paid, and the border will remain secure. The Senate now has a choice: pass a real homeland security bill, or explain to the American people why they left half of it behind.