Committee Examines DHS Shutdown's Threat to Security

Why it Matters

More than 100,000 Department of Homeland Security employees have been working without pay for nearly six weeks — and the agency responsible for airport security, border enforcement, disaster relief, and cybersecurity defense still has no funding. The House Homeland Security Committee is convening on March 25, 2026 to assess the damage, holding a DHS shutdown hearing titled "Funding Lapse and Security Gaps: Assessing the Harmful Impacts of the DHS Shutdown on Americans." The stakes extend well beyond Washington budget fights: TSA checkpoints are shuttering at major airports during spring break, Coast Guard personnel are running search-and-rescue missions without guaranteed paychecks, and the FBI has warned of an elevated threat of domestic terrorist activity while the department charged with preventing it operates on fumes.

Six Weeks Without Funding: How the DHS Shutdown Unfolded

The Department of Homeland Security entered a partial shutdown on February 14, 2026, after Congress failed to pass a DHS appropriations bill. The funding lapse affects every major DHS component — TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, ICE, CISA, and the Secret Service — encompassing roughly 260,000 employees. Approximately 90 percent of them have continued reporting to work, many without pay.

The House passed H.R. 7744, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, in early March to fully fund the department. But the bill stalled in the Senate, where a March 12 vote deadlocked along partisan lines, leaving no resolution in sight. The White House detailed a counteroffer to congressional Democrats on March 17 amid growing pressure from airport chaos and public frustration, but the impasse held. President Trump announced he would send ICE agents to airports to bolster TSA outages.

Both sides have traded blame. The White House published a statement framing the DHS shutdown impact as a product of "Democrats' reckless" obstruction. DHS itself released a statement titled "Spring Break Under Siege," in which Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said: "The Democrats' reckless DHS shutdown is causing TSA officers to go without pay for the third time in nearly six months... These political stunts are causing unneeded financial hardship for our TSA officers and their families."

The Human and Security Toll of the DHS Funding Lapse

Airport Security in Crisis

The DHS security gaps are most visible at America's airports. By mid-March, travelers at major hubs encountered shuttered security checkpoints and hours-long lines extending outside terminals. Some airports advised passengers to arrive three hours before domestic flights. Christine Vitel, a TSA officer at Chicago O'Hare and union executive vice president for AFGE Local 777, warned: "Our officers are coming to work, but there's going to be a breaking point sooner or later."

The impact rippled to airports across the country, including Philadelphia International and Newark, compounding frustrations during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Coast Guard and FEMA Operations Strained

Beyond airports, the DHS shutdown impact has reached into maritime security and disaster response. Coast Guard personnel continued search-and-rescue missions and maritime security patrols without guaranteed pay. The Coast Guard Foundation mobilized resources and support for service members and their families during the shutdown. The Senate was reportedly moving legislation to pay Coast Guard members even if the broader stalemate continued.

FEMA's ability to reimburse states for disaster relief costs was severely disrupted, though life-saving missions continued under previously appropriated disaster relief funds — a distinction that offers little comfort to state emergency management agencies waiting on federal dollars.

Federal Workers Demand Action

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and other federal employee organizations called for an immediate end to the shutdown, noting: "The shutdown has had an immediate impact on airport travelers, as many transportation security officers are struggling to afford to make it to work while not being paid." While a 2019 law guarantees back pay for furloughed federal employees, missing paychecks still create immediate financial hardship — mortgage payments, child care, and groceries don't wait for congressional reconciliation.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) acknowledged the urgency, announcing the House would vote on a DHS appropriations bill to "end the DHS shutdown so we can ensure agencies can protect America during this dangerous time."

What the DHS Shutdown Hearing Will Examine

According to the hearing notice, the full House Homeland Security Committee will convene under Chair Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-7), with Ranking Member Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2), Vice Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), and Vice Ranking Member Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX-32).

The committee roster is large — 37 members spanning both parties — reflecting the breadth of interest in the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Members from border states (Texas alone has six representatives on the committee), coastal districts, and major metropolitan areas all have constituents directly affected by the funding lapse, whether through airport delays, immigration enforcement disruptions, or stalled disaster relief payments.

The hearing's title — "Funding Lapse and Security Gaps" — signals that the committee intends to catalog concrete harms rather than simply relitigate the political blame game. With the FBI's domestic threat warning as backdrop and TSA officers approaching what one union leader called a "breaking point," the pressure on both parties to find an off-ramp is building by the day.

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