Nearly a month after temporary funding expired for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Congress and the White House have yet to reach an agreement on immigration reform and FY 2026 DHS appropriations for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and other DHS agencies. The Senate is scheduled to vote today on a stand-alone DHS funding package passed by the House last week. Although prior efforts failed to garner the 60 votes necessary for passage, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has said the removal of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem may encourage more support from Democrats. A Senate confirmation hearing for DHS-nominee Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) is expected as early as next Wednesday, and at least two Senate Democrats have expressed support for Mullin taking over as DHS Secretary.
Meanwhile, top Democratic appropriators in both chambers have introduced alternative bills to fund DHS agencies except CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which Republicans have blocked from floor consideration thus far. Other temporary solutions – such as using funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay TSA agents – have yet to gain traction. NATA continues to advocate for timely funding of the federal agencies that oversee aviation operations, as well as legislative efforts to ensure essential safety and security personnel are paid during government shutdowns. We also stand ready to assist NATA members whose operations are negatively affected by the current TSA and CBP shutdown. Please contact NATA COO Hector Huezo at hhuezo@nata.aero or VP of Government Affairs Karen Huggard at khuggard@nata.aero to report impacts.