Harshbarger Applauds End to Democrat-Led DHS Shutdown

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) today released the following statement after passage of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 7147, the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, a critical step in ending the longest government shutdown in American history.

"For 76 days, the men and women who protect this nation have been working without a durable paycheck. That is disgraceful, and Democrats own every bit of it," said Congresswoman Harshbarger. "I supported ending this shutdown because our frontline personnel deserve better, and our national security cannot afford another day of Democrat obstruction."

Republicans are pursuing a two-step funding strategy to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and restore full operations:

• Step one provides immediate appropriations to reopen DHS and ensure frontline personnel continue to be paid. This legislation funds key departmental components including the Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, the Secret Service, and cybersecurity operations. Funding for ICE and full CBP border security operations are not included in this measure.

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  Step two delivers full funding for ICE and CBP for the remainder of the Trump presidency. This will be achieved through the budget reconciliation process, which is already underway .

Harshbarger emphasized the stark contrast between Republican action and Democrat obstruction, arguing that today's House action demonstrates Republicans' commitment to legislating responsibly while Democrats chose politics over the safety of the American people.

"Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats dragged this shutdown out for months, holding our national security hostage while our adversaries watched and waited," Harshbarger continued. "Our Coast Guardsmen, TSA officers, and Secret Service agents-the same agents who stopped an assassination attempt on President Trump-were doing their jobs every single day without stable funding behind them. That ends today."

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