Key Takeaways
- •The House Rules Committee advanced H.R. 8029 to address a 38-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown that has left over 60,000 TSA officers and 18,500 FEMA staff working without pay.
- •Tom Cole (Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations) testified that Senate Democrats are blocking DHS funding for partisan gain, while Rosa DeLauro advocated for a discharge petition to fund non-controversial agencies.
- •Rep. McGovern (D, MA-2) highlighted Republican Senator John Kennedy’s claim that Donald Trump blocked a deal to pay TSA workers, which Cole stated he could not personally verify.
- •Republicans argued that a full DHS funding bill is necessary for national security, while Democrats demanded guardrails for ICE and CBP to prevent alleged civil rights abuses and racial profiling.
- •The measure proceeds to the House floor as airport security wait times increase, though the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate where Democrats demand separate votes on immigration.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Rules Committee met on March 24, 2026, to consider a rule for four measures, most notably H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, and H. Res. 1128, a resolution expressing support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The hearing occurred against the backdrop of a 39-day partial government shutdown affecting DHS, which has left tens of thousands of federal employees working without pay. Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R, NC-5) opened the session by highlighting the operational disruptions caused by the funding lapse, noting that 60,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, 18,500 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergency responders, and 9,000 United States Coast Guard civilian personnel are currently working unpaid. Chairwoman Foxx blamed Senate Democrats for the impasse, alleging they are blockading funding to force policy changes.
Ranking Member James McGovern (D, MA-2) countered that the shutdown was a result of former President Donald Trump’s "no deals" directive to congressional Republicans. He argued that Democrats support funding essential services like the TSA and Coast Guard but object to providing "blank checks" for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without significant reforms. The committee also considered H.R. 5103, the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act, and H.R. 7084, the Defending American Property Abroad Act.
Key Testimony
In the first panel, Chairman Tom Cole (R, OK-4) of the House Committee on Appropriations testified in support of H.R. 8029, asserting that the bill comprehensively funds DHS and fulfills a bipartisan agreement that he claimed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) abandoned. Chairman Cole emphasized that the administration has already offered concessions, including nominating Senator Markwayne Mullin as the next Secretary of Homeland Security and proposing reforms such as body-worn cameras for ICE agents. Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) of the Appropriations Committee argued that H.R. 8029 is "political theater" because it includes funding for ICE and CBP, which Democrats want to negotiate separately. She promoted a discharge petition for her own bill, which would fund all of DHS except for ICE and CBP, allowing those agencies to be debated on a separate track while paying TSA and Coast Guard personnel immediately.
Overview
Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R, NY-2) of the House Committee on Homeland Security spoke in favor of H. Res. 1128, citing the increased security risks during the shutdown, particularly with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and "America 250" celebrations. He noted that TSA call-out rates have exceeded 10 percent, leading to four-hour security lines at major hubs like Atlanta and Houston. Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D, MS-2) dismissed the resolution as a "non-binding" gesture that fails to provide actual paychecks. He criticized the Trump administration for attempting to turn DHS into a "national police force" and for deploying untrained ICE officers to airports to assist with TSA duties.
The second panel focused on H.R. 7084, introduced by Rep. Ezell (R, MS-4). The bill would authorize the President to deny U.S. port entry to vessels that have called at foreign ports or terminals unlawfully seized from American companies by governments in the Western Hemisphere. The discussion centered on a specific property dispute in Mexico involving an American mining company. Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D, WA-2) of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure opposed the bill, arguing it would further strain the Coast Guard’s $13 billion budget by requiring them to police international property disputes. He offered an amendment to ensure the bill’s implementation would not increase costs for American consumers.
The third panel addressed H.R. 5103, presented by Rep. McGuire (R, VA-5). The bill would codify President Trump’s Executive Order 14252, establishing a "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Commission" to coordinate federal and local law enforcement and beautify the District of Columbia through graffiti removal and monument restoration. Rep. McGuire cited Oversight Committee findings alleging that the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) manipulated crime data to mask high violence rates. Rep. Subramanyam (D-VA-10) opposed the measure, arguing that the presence of the National Guard in D.C. has made the city "uglier" and that crime was already trending downward due to local community policing investments.
The hearing highlighted deep partisan divisions regarding the scope of DHS. Republicans argued for full funding of all components to ensure national security, while Democrats sought to "carve out" controversial immigration enforcement agencies to provide immediate relief to other DHS workers. Notable exchanges included Rep. Chip Roy (R, TX-21) delivering a "soliloquy" on the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, which he argued prevents majority rule and damages the Republic. The committee did not announce specific deadlines but indicated that the measures would proceed to the House floor for consideration later in the week.
Transcript
Good afternoon. The committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. Today the Rules Committee is convening to consider four measures: H. Res. 1128, H.R. 5103, H.R. 7084, and H.R. 8029. H. Res. 1128 and H.R. 8029, two separate measures pertaining to the Department of Homeland Security, express the support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security and allocate full funding for the agency respectively. For over a month, DHS has suffered severe disruptions to its operational posture. We have seen it, experienced it, and learned about it extensively through various mediums. More than 60,000 TSA officers are currently working unpaid, and nearly 400 have resigned. Meanwhile, passengers are forced to wait in line for hours to get through airport security. In addition, among those working unpaid are 18,500 essential emergency response staff from FEMA, nearly 900 cybersecurity experts at CISA, over 9,000 Coast Guard civilian personnel, and 7,700 civilian staff of the U.S. Secret Service. This madness and the misguided obstruction for over a month on the part of our Democrat colleagues must be put to an end. At what point will our Democrat colleagues say enough is enough and vote alongside us to fully fund DHS? Will it take a large-scale attack on our very soil for them to come to their senses and end their blockade? I sure hope that is not the case. Will it take even further detrimental disruptions to the lives of the American people for them to change their minds? Many people are asking these exact questions. The delay in funding DHS is egregious, to say the least. H.R. 5103, the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act, would require the development and implementation of a program under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior to renew the District of Columbia through the removal of graffiti, enhanced private sector collaboration, and restoration of federal public monuments. Further, it would establish a commission to coordinate and collaborate across federal agencies, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia to create joint priorities to enable the full enforcement of federal and local laws within the district. Our capital city should be a model that the rest of the nation should look to. Everyone who lives, visits, and commutes here should be able to enjoy a city that is as safe as it is clean. This is certainly another measure worthy of bipartisan support through and through. Finally, we turn to H.R. 7084, the bipartisan Defending American Property Abroad Act, which would institute prohibitions to any nation within the Western Hemisphere with a free trade agreement with the U.S. that unlawfully seizes American assets. This legislation yields an overdue tune-up to U.S. maritime security law, which will serve as a serious boon to the nation. It provides the president the authority to deny entry into U.S. ports for vessels that use ports or terminals in Western Hemisphere countries where American-owned ports, harbors, or marine terminals have been seized or nationalized. It also contains specific safeguards and conditions for removing such presidential designations if an offending country returns the seized property, terminates any future seizure measures, provides adequate compensation, or otherwise resolves the dispute to the president's satisfaction. We have another good slate of bills before us today. I look forward to the testimony of our witnesses and the subsequent discussions all of us will have. With that, I now yield to the ranking member for any comments he wishes to make. Mr. McGovern.
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