Witness urges swift passage of H.R. 8029, saying DHS personnel are working without pay

A witness testifying to the House Rules Committee on H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, urged lawmakers to approve the measure immediately to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security and ensure personnel are paid.

The witness said the department has been "shuttered by Senate Democrats for nearly 50% of the fiscal year," leaving DHS workers and critical missions "in limbo," and said employees have been "reported to work without pay." The witness added that "that is heartless. That is unfair. And that is cruel."

The testimony blamed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for reneging on a January bipartisan agreement and refusing to pass the Homeland Security appropriations bill in the Senate, a decision the witness said has left many TSA, Secret Service and Coast Guard members continuing to work "without guaranteed pay and without full operational resources." The witness asserted that the blockade has "denied over 80,000 American families, more than $1 billion in take home pay."

The witness framed the funding lapse as a national security concern, saying it was "no time for a shutdown" while U.S. forces are engaged with the Iranian regime. The witness also said the White House has signaled willingness to negotiate reforms at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and cited reforms the bill would support, including requiring ICE officers to wear body‑worn cameras, de‑escalation training, restrictions on enforcement at sensitive locations such as hospitals and schools, and visible officer identification during immigration enforcement.

The witness quoted a recent interview in which Senator Susan Collins reportedly called the White House proposal "eminently reasonable," using that remark to argue the reforms have bipartisan backing. The witness said the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act "comprehensively funds DHS" and urged members on both sides of the aisle to "do the right thing and support the bill."

The witness concluded by noting Representative Juan Ciscomani, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security vice chair, is leading a renewed House effort to fund DHS and pay personnel who have continued to work without pay. The testimony closed with a request for bipartisan support and thanks to the committee. The committee took no vote during the testimony and no formal action was recorded in the transcript.