Witness urges House Rules Committee to pass DHS appropriations bill, warns of shutdown harms

A witness testifying before the House Rules Committee urged members to pass HR 7744, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, saying the negotiated, bipartisan measure is needed immediately to restore full DHS operations.

The witness told Chairwoman Fox and other committee members that the bill is "substantially identical" to a version the House passed in January and described it as a bipartisan, bicameral compromise that would provide full funding for DHS for fiscal year 2026. The witness said that a failure to enact the measure has already triggered a funding lapse that began in February and has shut down large portions of the department.

Why it matters: The testimony said mission-critical employees, including Transportation Security Administration officers, remain on the job "without guaranteed pay and without full operational resources," and that FEMA needs uninterrupted funding to respond to wildfires in Oklahoma and an environmental emergency in Washington, D.C. The witness argued that recent cross-border and international incidents — including narco-trafficking attacks in Mexico and Iranian missile activity in the Middle East — underscore the need for an operational Homeland Security enterprise.

The witness blamed Senate Democrats, saying "Senator Schumer reneged on the deal" and that the refusal to pass the agreed legislation forced the lapse in funding. The testimony linked the impasse to a push for reforms at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and noted that the bill before the committee includes a set of negotiated reforms: requirements for law-enforcement officers to wear body cameras, de-escalation training, and additional reporting to Congress.

The witness also listed benefits the bill would deliver if enacted, saying it would provide a pay raise for the Coast Guard, increased support for firefighters and first responders, strengthened disaster preparedness, and enhanced efforts to combat fentanyl.

Direct quotes from the witness included: "Today is no time for a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security," and "The refusal of Senate Democrats to honor the agreement triggered a lapse in funding for DHS starting in February." The witness closed by urging colleagues of both parties to pass the compromise immediately and said they looked forward to questions from committee members.

Next steps: The witness concluded testimony and invited committee questions; the transcript records no formal vote or committee action.