Funding DHS to Secure Our Homeland and Ensure Americans’ Safety

At a time when we most need to ensure the security of our nation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is shut down thanks to Democrats’ political antics. 

House Republicans sent a bill – a bipartisan, bicameral negotiated bill – to the Senate that would fund DHS for FY26. But Democrats wanted to pander to their radical far-left base, so they decided to shut down the department of the federal government that secures the U.S. against threats, including counterterrorism operations, cybersecurity, border control, and emergency management.

Democrats claim they are holding up DHS funding to protest ICE and Border Patrol, but in reality, ICE and Border Patrol are already funded through the Working Families Tax Cuts. So what does not funding DHS actually mean? It means no funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. Think about it: amidst the current conflict with Iran – one of the most dangerous nations in cyberspace – Democrats are blocking funding to the department that defends our cybersecurity. 

Under Biden, over 10 million illegal immigrants entered the United States from over 160 countries, including countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. Over 400 illegal aliens on the Terrorist Watch List were encountered at the border – and these are just the ones we caught. We know that bad actors came across the border undetected under the Biden Administration and that counterterrorism agencies are monitoring suspected sleeper cells on American soil. 

Especially now, in the wake of Biden’s four years of open borders and evolving threats, we cannot handicap the department tasked with keeping Americans safe. It’s absurd, it’s irresponsible, and it will only hurt the American people. House Republicans are once again bringing forward legislation to ensure the government is fully funded and American communities and citizens are kept safe.

H.R. ___, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, sponsored by Chairman Tom Cole, makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, deter and respond to cyber threats, counter terrorism, and enhance public safety.

Delivering stability and security to the nation and the American people should never be a partisan issue. Will Democrats prove they care more about putting on a political show than they do about the security of our nation, or will they do the right thing?