WASHINGTON (AP) — Following months of political stalemate, lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday to restore funding to most Department of Homeland Security operations, sending the bipartisan measure to President Donald Trump’s desk and bringing closure to an unprecedented agency shutdown.
The administration had cautioned that emergency funding Trump had utilized to maintain operations for the Transportation Security Administration and other critical personnel was nearing depletion, raising concerns about potential airport service interruptions.
The Department of Homeland Security has operated without standard appropriations since February 14, creating financial strain for employees. However, much of Trump’s immigration enforcement priorities at the center of the funding dispute continue to receive separate financial support.
“It is about damn time,” declared Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the leading Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, who had introduced the legislation over two months earlier.
Lawmakers quickly approved the legislation through a voice vote, bypassing the need for an official recorded vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s slim Republican majority has faced repeated setbacks, with internal party conflicts hampering progress on multiple legislative priorities, including the homeland security appropriations. Despite the Senate’s unanimous approval of the bipartisan package four weeks ago, the legislation remained stalled in the House chamber.
