hold on there's just too much going on in Congress lmao...
Funds Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations during a 2026 government shutdown.
Representative Ms. Johnson (D-TX) introduced; referred to Appropriations Committee.
Introduced in the House, no vote yet.
This bill, H.R. 7617, was introduced by Representative Ms. Johnson, a Democrat from Texas. It aims to provide necessary funding for the Department of Homeland Security's administrative expenses to ensure its continued operation and responsiveness to Congress during any potential government shutdown in fiscal year 2026. The bill was immediately referred to the House Committee on Appropriations for review.
Introduced Feb 20, 2026
This bill is currently in the 'Introduced' stage. It has been assigned to the House Committee on Appropriations. For it to become law, the committee must first approve it, then it needs to pass a vote in the full House of Representatives. If it passes the House, it would then move to the Senate for their review and vote, and finally, if passed by both chambers, it would be sent to the President to be signed into law.
If enacted, this bill would ensure that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could continue performing all its functions, including border security, immigration enforcement, and disaster response, even if there's a funding lapse in fiscal year 2026. This would prevent disruptions to essential services and operations. It would also mandate that DHS remain accessible and responsive to inquiries from congressional offices during a shutdown, ensuring accountability. Importantly, it would specifically fund legislative affairs offices within DHS and ICE to maintain communication with elected officials.
Supporters Say
Supporters would argue this bill prevents disruption of critical national security and public safety functions during a government shutdown.
Critics Say
Critics might argue this bill encourages piecemeal funding or normalizes government shutdowns instead of addressing the root causes.
Those in favor would likely highlight the importance of maintaining continuity for national security and public safety operations, especially given DHS's wide-ranging responsibilities. They might see it as a pragmatic way to avoid impacts on critical services during political disagreements over funding. Opponents, however, could contend that such a bill undermines the pressure to pass full appropriations bills, potentially making shutdowns more common, or that it creates an uneven playing field by funding one agency over others during a lapse.