Congress ends record shutdown at DHS : NPR
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- The House of Representatives voted to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending the longest agency shutdown in U.S. history after 76 days.
- The funding bill excludes money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as Democrats withheld support to push for reforms related to law enforcement accountability.
- Senate Republicans had unanimously advanced the funding measure in March, but House Speaker Mike Johnson initially refused to bring it to a vote, later reversing his stance after pressure from hardline members.
- Johnson delayed the vote until Senate Republicans began the reconciliation process to fund DHS fully, including ICE and CBP, without Democratic support.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned the agency was nearly out of emergency funds to pay staff, relying on last year's supplemental appropriations to sustain operations.
