Another Democrat Government Shutdown Dramatically Hurts America’s National Security

Another Democrat Government Shutdown Dramatically Hurts America’s National Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) condemns Democrats’ decision to once again put politics over public safety, that have resulted in another dangerous government shutdown, undermining the department’s ability to keep Americans safe.

“Shutting down the DHS means cutting off resources and funding to FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard, and thousands of federal law enforcement officers — the men and women who stand on the front lines of protecting our homeland every single day. Democrats’ reckless partisan games jeopardizing the safety and security of the American people in the name of scoring political points. By shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, 260,000 men and women who defend our homeland will lack the mission support they need to carry out our national security mission,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

The DHS is one of the largest federal agencies, with 23 components including the US Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration, to Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with other critical offices dedicated to keeping the nation safe and secure.

Operational planning and mission critical procurement of resources will be delayed as a result of this dangerous shutdown and it will now be more difficult to stay on top of urgent, imminent threats in cyberspace and to our nation’s critical infrastructure.

 Here are the ways that each of the individual components at the DHS will be impacted:

U.S. Coast Guard

• Military families may start to face problems with housing and utilities, as vendors who don’t receive payments for utilities, leases, and base contracts could reduce or stop their support altogether.
  • This could lead to military families losing electricity and water, and a possible lack of housing for members of the military.
• Reduced support for operations will cause gaps in the fleet, including lower asset availability and cancelled patrols and flights.
• The Coast Guard may have to stop issuing credentials and documentation for merchant mariners and commercial vessels.
  • In the long term, this can impact U.S. maritime shipping, which hurts all Americans at the grocery store and the gas station.
• This shutdown will result in increased requests from excepted employees to be furloughed due to a lack of workplace flexibilities – including alternative work schedules and telework. This shutdown will hinder supervisors’ abilities to manage fatigue among the workforce, which makes it harder to sustain mission readiness.
• This shutdown will result in delays for security clearances for civilians and contractors, due to furloughed personnel at the Coast Guard Security Center.
• During a shutdown, civilian personnel are unable to process retirement packages or conduct retirement counseling. This means that employees nearing retirement do not know if they are fully eligible to retire or understand their annuity fully.
• The Coast Guard cannot hire or onboard during a shutdown, which will lead to greater strain on the system when operations resume.
• Unit funded and executed training is in jeopardy of cancellation due to travel restrictions. Support contracts awarded during a shutdown cannot be paid, putting the services at risk should the vendor decide not to continue services.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• The longer the shutdown lasts, the more severe the impact will be on the Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and other front-line workers who will have to keep coming to work.
• This could lead to increased wait times at airports across the country.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP):

• Facilities and office locations will be unable to make payments to vendors in support of ongoing operations, including rent, utilities, phone bills, and critical supplies. As payments are paused during a shutdown, CBP runs the risk of these functions being turned off.
• Ongoing mission priorities may encounter delays in procurements, supplies, and other operational support due to a lack of available funding.
• While travel may be approved, personnel supporting mission priorities cannot be reimbursed for incurred costs, adding to their financial stress.
• In some sectors, CBP’s Honor Guard will be unable to travel to provide final honors at funerals for current and retired employees.
  • This means that men and women who dedicated their lives to keep their country safe will miss out on the final honors they have earned.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Without funding from Congress, existing disaster relief funds may run dry.
• During a shutdown, FEMA is unable to process payments for non-disaster grants and some disaster grants because the FEMA grants system is not operational.
  • This results in billions of dollars remaining unspent, preventing funds from reaching first responders such as firefighters, police departments, and emergency managers nationwide.
• All resident classes at the National Fire Academy (NFA) at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland will be cancelled until the shutdown is resolved.
• Support for preparedness activities at the state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) level must be suspended, and National Level Exercise planning activities paused, until the shutdown is resolved.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

• Although ICE’s mission will continue, it may encounter delays in procurements, supplies, and other forms of operational support due to lack of funding.
• Critical personnel relocations that impact national security are still able to be processed.
• Travel may be approved, but personnel cannot be reimbursed for the cost.

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)

• FLETC relies heavily on contractors for everything from housing, to transport, to meals, to firing range operations. Because FLETC is unable to pay contractors, critical training for future law enforcement officers that we need to get to the field may be disrupted the longer the shutdown lasts.
• Without government funding, agencies that completed training cannot reimburse FLETC for student meals and lodging, and FLETC cannot pay contractors for their services.
• FLETC will have to absorb course costs associated with all completed One Big Beautiful Bill-funded basic training.
  • This includes tuition and miscellaneous overhead costs for utilities, security, and transportation.
• FLETC training requires significant resources such as ammunition, fuel, tires, and vehicle parts as a result of wear and tear from intense driving instruction.
  • Additionally, high student usage is accelerating the wear and tear on other aging infrastructure, which FLETC is unable to maintain or repair during a shutdown.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

• The E-Verify program will be unable to fund certain mission-critical procurement actions or interagency payments that must be paid for with appropriated dollars, which will create operational bottlenecks.

U.S. Secret Service (USSS)

• Ongoing services including rent and utilities will be exacerbated due to lack of payment.
• A shutdown limits the Service’s ability to pay for required and/or preventative maintenance on over 400 vehicles in the fleet.
• Contracts that directly support criminal and protective operations will not be paid and become higher risk for continued support.
• Other enterprise contracts, such as IT and computer support, will not be funded. This introduces system vulnerabilities and increases the risk of data breaches.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

• Many of CISA’s key mission areas are centered around prevention and preparedness measures. During a government shutdown, it is harder to determine when a threat is imminent.
• During a lapse in funding, CISA will have to cancel engagements like the following:
  • Physical and cybersecurity assessments for critical infrastructure owners.
  • Simulation exercises.
  • Stakeholder trainings and development meetings.
  • International engagements.
  • Public speaking engagements and presentations.
• As the lapse goes on, CISA’s lack of involvement in these key areas will lead to a future threat or an increased area of weakness.