WASHINGTON— Congress has left Washington without reaching an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security, pushing the agency to the brink of a partial shutdown amid a dispute over immigration enforcement policies and putting the paychecks of many at risk.
As the CU Daily has been reporting, in the weeks leading up to the deadline credit unions have been urged to prepare to help members affected by the shutdown.
Reuters reported that past DHS shutdown planning indicates that roughly 72% of the department’s workforce could be required to work without pay during a lapse, including law enforcement officers, disaster responders and cybersecurity staff. DHS has approximately 260,000 employes.
Funding Bill Fails
The Senate failed to advance a funding bill in a key vote that fell short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster, and lawmakers departed for recess with negotiations stalled. Funding for the department is set to lapse as lawmakers remain divided over demands for new oversight and limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As the CU Daily has also reported, th impasse affects only Homeland Security because it was separated from the broader government funding package approved earlier this year, leaving the department on a temporary extension that expired this week.
Who Is Most Affected
Unlike many federal shutdowns, most frontline security personnel are expected to remain on duty, though many would work without immediate pay. DHS has historically classified a large share of its workforce as “excepted,” meaning they must continue working during a funding lapse.
Among those affected by the shutdown:
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners would continue staffing airport checkpoints but without pay until funding is restored, raising the risk of delays if workers begin to call in sick.
- U.S. Coast Guard service members would keep performing missions but face delayed paychecks, a situation that has posed significant hardship in past lapses.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers. .
Border enforcement agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are expected to continue operating because they have access to prior or multi-year funding streams, according to Reuters.
DCUC Expresses Concerns
On several occasions in recent weeks, the Defense Credit Union Council has urged Congress to act to provide the funding. “Our primary concern is for our members in the Coast Guard who will not be receiving a salary from Saturday moving on but who are still required to report for duty just like active duty troops over the Department of War and Defense,” Jason Stverak, chief advocacy officer with DCUC, said during a media call earlier this week.
DCUC has urged Congress to stop treating those serving in the Coast Guard as “political pawns” in the funding impasse.
