WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate again failed to advance legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, prolonging a partial government shutdown that has left key security agencies operating with limited resources for nearly two weeks.
Senators voted 50-45 on a procedural motion to move forward with H.R. 7147, the House-passed Homeland Security appropriations bill for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026, falling short of the 60 votes required to end debate and begin formal consideration. The vote was held amid deep partisan divisions over immigration enforcement and agency oversight.
The partial shutdown — which affects the Department of Homeland Security alone — began Feb. 14 after Congress failed to enact full funding for the agency by the deadline. Previous efforts to pass a continuing resolution to keep DHS funded also collapsed, and the stalemate has stretched into its second week.
The House of Representatives earlier approved the Homeland Security spending bill, voting 220-207 in favor, along with a companion appropriations package that would fund the rest of the government. But that legislation has repeatedly stalled in the Senate, with Democrats seeking changes to immigration enforcement provisions as a condition for their support.
The shutdown has disrupted operations at major components of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. TSA employees and other workers remain on the job but are operating under funding uncertainties, and some programs have been scaled back.
Negotiations between lawmakers remain at an impasse, with leaders from both parties blaming each other for the continued lapse in funding. Until an agreement is reached, DHS will continue operating under limited appropriations and uncertainty over pay and resources for many of its critical functions.