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CJ Lake consultant John Assuni briefs supervisors on DHS funding risks and pending federal packages
Summary
John Assuni of CJ Lake told the committee March 9 that continued DHS funding gaps are worsening TSA staffing problems, and that Congress may next take up a substantial supplemental for the Iran conflict while housing and farm bills remain unsettled.
John Assuni, a consultant with CJ Lake, told the Elmy County Personnel Administration and Legislation Committee on March 9 that congressional calendars and ongoing federal disputes are creating uncertainty for counties. He said the Senate is in session this week while the House remains in recess and described party retreats and interchamber tensions shaping near-term federal action.
Assuni said there is no clear path for resolving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding during the current lapse and warned of operational impacts. "We are now reaching week 3 of the DHS shutdown," he said, and added that staffing disruptions at the Transportation Security Administration have led to longer security wait times at airports as employees miss paychecks.
Why it matters: DHS funding and any supplemental packages can affect federal programs and operational partners counties rely on, including public-safety and transportation operations. Assuni also flagged a likely White House request for supplemental defense funding related to the conflict with Iran, which he said could be on the order of tens of billions of dollars and would dominate congressional negotiations in the weeks ahead.
Assuni summarized other federal items counties should monitor: a bipartisan Senate housing vehicle (described as the 21st Century Road to Housing Act), ongoing friction over reconciling House and Senate housing proposals, and recent action in the House Agriculture Committee to advance a 2026 Farm Bill with multiple amendments that may affect SNAP and other county-administered programs.
Committee members asked for timing and scenario planning for DHS funding and for the schedule of confirmation hearings for a pending Homeland Security nominee; Assuni and a CJ Lake colleague, Emily, said hearings had not yet been scheduled and that no clear off-ramp had emerged. The committee solicited public comment on the federal update and received none.
