Palmer Backs Funding Bill to End Partial DHS Shutdown
Rep. Gary Palmer voted to fund Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown, citing concerns for workers, national security
U.S. Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL-06) joined a majority of House members on Thursday in voting for H.R. 7744, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, a bill meant to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and end the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The legislation passed the House by a vote of 221‑209, with just four Democrats joining Republicans in support. The bill would fund DHS operations — including FEMA, TSA, CBP, ICE, the Coast Guard and cybersecurity functions — through the rest of fiscal 2026 and help resume normal agency operations.
After the vote, Rep. Palmer made a pointed statement criticizing Democratic opposition to the funding effort. “The Democrats have been putting politics over national security by withholding funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In the meantime, FEMA has been unable to provide aid during winter storms and TSA agents are missing their paychecks,” Palmer said.
Palmer went on to link the shutdown to global security concerns, especially tensions with Iran. “Especially now, as Iran has threatened retaliation, it is in the best interest of the American people for this partial government shutdown to end, and I hope the Senate passes this bill as soon as possible.”
The Department’s funding lapse began in mid‑February after Senate Democrats blocked procedural efforts to advance a full‑year DHS funding bill, keeping key agencies partially shut and many federal workers unpaid or working without pay.
While the House has now approved the measure, it faces a difficult path in the Senate, where under current filibuster rules, lawmakers must reach a 60‑vote threshold to bring the bill up for final passage.
