White House Warns of Funding Shortages for Homeland Security

The White House has alerted Congress that funds for paying Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel will “soon run out,” raising alarms about potential airport disruptions and national security issues. This comes as the House struggles to advance legislation intended to resolve the agency’s longest funding gap in history.

A memo from the Office of Management and Budget sent to lawmakers highlighted that money allocated by President Trump via executive action to pay the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other officials could be exhausted by May.

The department is urging the House to swiftly approve a budget resolution that was passed by the Senate during an overnight session last week, which would set the stage for comprehensive funding for the agency.

“DHS will soon run out of critical operating funds, putting vital personnel and operations at risk,” the memo stated.

Trump administration pressure might bolster House Speaker Mike Johnson, as his narrow Republican majority struggles with internal divisions over multiple issues, including funding for homeland security. The House has been somewhat stalled as a result.

A vote in the House is projected for Wednesday on a Senate budget resolution focused on expediting the complex process needed to fund the department, with the administration cautioning Republican lawmakers against making amendments that could delay its passage.

“Recent events have underscored how urgent it is to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security,” the memo remarked, referencing a recent incident where an armed individual attempted to enter the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attended by prominent figures including the President and Vice President.

Currently, DHS has been functioning without regular funding for over two months, following Democrats’ decision to reject unchanged allocations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Protection due to the backlash from protests against Trump’s deportation strategies.

While immigration enforcement officers primarily receive their pay from a fresh cash flow of approximately $170 billion approved last year as part of Trump’s tax cuts, other officials, like those at the TSA, have hinged their paychecks on the President’s executive actions.

However, payroll costs are escalating by more than $1.6 billion every two weeks, prompting DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to recently indicate that funds are dwindling.

Republicans in both the House and Senate are attempting to forge ahead independently, seeking to secure funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Security without Democratic support.

They are aiming for a $70 billion provision for immigration operations for the rest of Trump’s term to avert further disruptions.

This method mirrors the intricate procedure that was used last year to pass the Trump tax cut bill, which is anticipated to unfold over several weeks.

The Senate initiated this process the previous week and is now awaiting House action. Following the budget resolution’s approval, both chambers will work together to draft the actual funding bill, a task likely to take weeks.

In the meantime, Johnson is expected to quickly pivot to legislation that would fund other components of DHS, including the TSA and the Coast Guard.

This bipartisan bill, which garnered Democratic support, advanced in the Senate a month ago when Republicans reluctantly agreed to allocate immigration funds that had faced opposition from Democrats.

However, it has stalled in the House due to disagreements among House Republicans with the Senate’s strategy.