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US House Ends 76-Day DHS Shutdown, Approves Critical Funding Bill

The US House unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 76-day shutdown. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the department is back open, securing funding for ICE and CBP through reconciliation. The shutdown, which began on February 14, became the longest partial government shutdown in US history, disrupting agencies like the Coast Guard and TSA. House Speaker Mike Johnson detailed a two-track legislative strategy to ensure critical agencies were not defunded.

Key Points: US House Ends 76-Day DHS Shutdown, Approves Funding

  • House unanimously approves Senate-passed DHS funding bill
  • Shutdown lasted 76 days, longest in US history
  • ICE and CBP funding secured through reconciliation
  • Coast Guard morale described as "furious" by Adm. Kevin Lunday
2 min read

US House ends 76-day DHS shutdown, approves funding bill

The US House approves a bill to end the 76-day DHS shutdown, securing funding for ICE and CBP. Secretary Mullin calls it the longest shutdown in history.

"To be clear, this Democrat shutdown never should have happened. - Markwayne Mullin, DHS Secretary"

Washington DC, May 1

United States Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin on Thursday informed that the government shutdown has ended after 76 days, calling it the "longest government shutdown in history".

The House on Thursday unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, a move expected to formally end the 76-day shutdown that has disrupted several agencies.

In a post on X, Mullin announced that "@DHSgov is back open," with funding for ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (US Customs and Border Protection) to be secured through reconciliation "with no Democrat votes."

Mullin said, "To be clear, this Democrat shutdown never should have happened," and thanked federal employees "who have continued to protect the homeland every single day without a guaranteed paycheck," adding that President Trump and DHS leadership are "very grateful to be in the fight with you to Make America Safe Again."

According to CBS News, the bill was passed by voice vote and now heads to President Trump's desk for signature.

CBS News reported that the shutdown began on February 14 and became the longest partial government shutdown in US history.

While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol were largely shielded by prior funding, other agencies, including the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), faced significant operational strain.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislative strategy involved a two-track approach, explaining, "We held the homeland bill, the underlying funding bill, because we had to ensure that they could not isolate and eliminate those two critical agencies," according to CBS News, citing his remarks. He added that once the funding resolution was secured, lawmakers could proceed with additional legislation.

The news report also noted that Adm. Kevin Lunday of the Coast Guard described morale within his workforce as "furious," calling the prolonged funding lapse "incredibly frustrating."

CBS News said the shutdown's resolution followed weeks of political deadlock, with Republicans and Democrats divided over funding priorities tied to immigration enforcement agencies and broader DHS operations. The reconciliation process is expected to be used to finalise additional funding measures in the coming weeks.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sneha F
Interesting how the article emphasizes "no Democrat votes" for ICE and CBP funding. Feels like this is more about political point-scoring than actual governance. In India, we have our own shutdowns and stalemates, but 76 days seems excessive. Hope the US learns from this and finds a better way to budget.
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James A
As an American living abroad in India, this is embarrassing. Our government can't even keep basic services running without partisan drama. The reference to 'Democrat shutdown' is just rhetoric – both sides have blame here. Kudos to the federal workers who kept going without pay. That's real patriotism.
K
Kavya N
Uncle ji from Delhi watching this chaos unfold: "Bhai, tum log ka desh hai America ya drama series?" 😂 But seriously, 76 days without pay for essential workers is a failure of leadership. Reminds me of how we treat our own government employees sometimes. Hope this sets a precedent that shutdowns are never the answer.
D
Deepak U
Notice how ICE and Border Patrol had prior funding but other agencies suffered. Priorities seem skewed – FEMA and Coast Guard are just as vital. From an Indian perspective, our disaster management agencies also face resource crunches during political fights. Glad this is over for the workers' sake. 🎉
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Lisa P
I understand the political gridlock, but calling it a "Democrat shutdown" is a bit simplistic. Both parties had their hand in this. The real losers are the middle-class workers at TSA, Coast Guard, etc. In India, we see similar blame games during budget sessions. Let's hope for a more stable system going forward.

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