WASHINGTON, D.C. – Independent Women welcomes congressional agreement to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. The legislation, now signed into law by President Trump, restores critical operations after 76 days, the longest shutdown of a federal security agency in U.S. history. It also delivers long-overdue relief to federal workers who have gone unpaid.
Last weekend’s attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner underscored what was at stake. It’s critical we have continuity in vital protective services.
Independent Women commends Republican leadership who stepped up to the occasion, championing common-sense over political theatre in order to bring the shutdown to an end.
Meaghan Mobbs, Director of Independent Women’s Center for American Safety and Security, said:
“Today’s resolution is welcome — but let’s be honest about what just happened.
“For 76 days, the longest shutdown of a federal security agency in American history, the men and women of DHS were forced to work without pay, our airports were strained, and core homeland security functions operated under sustained pressure.
“This shutdown did not persist because a solution was impossible. It persisted because Democratic leadership chose to prolong the standoff. “The duration was a political decision, and the consequences were borne by frontline personnel.
“Meanwhile, the American public were asked to tolerate a level of risk that never should have been on the table, and the political dysfunction that caused it is inexcusable regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on.
“I’m glad it’s over. I’m furious it lasted this long.
“Every day DHS went unfunded, weakened our readiness, strained the workforce, and signaled to our adversaries that America’s security could be used as leverage.”
While the DHS shutdown has ended, the consequences underscore a larger reality: stability in funding our federal agencies and security personnel is not optional. National security, border operations, and disaster response cannot be treated as leverage in political disputes.
For months, uncertainty surrounding DHS funding created unnecessary strain for nearly 50,000 TSA officers and over 100,000 DHS personnel and disrupted essential services that Americans rely on to continue their daily lives and work. Today’s resolution is a step in the right direction.
GRIDLOCK HURTS REAL PEOPLE
Throughout the duration of the DHS shutdown, Independent Women mobilized hundreds of its members to write to Democrats in Washington to demand they: do their job, reopen the government, and put American families and safety first.
Click here to view the comment drive.
Last fall during the longest government shutdown in US history, Independent Women was successful in building a coalition across all 50 states through its “Gridlock Hurts Real People: Tell Senate Democrats to End the Shutdown”—gathering over 1,500 personal stories from parents, veterans, workers, and taxpayers suffering from Washington’s political stalemate. This comment drive ensured representatives knew exactly how much Americans wanted this shutdown to end.
Independent Women urges Congress to build on this momentum and ensure that critical agencies like DHS remain fully funded and functional moving forward.
To learn more about Independent Women’s Center for American Safety and Security, visit https://www.independentwomen.com/cass/.
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