Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act

Received in the Senate.

Apr 2, 2026

This bill appropriates funds to the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of FY2026 and ends a partial DHS shutdown that began on February 14, 2026. Appropriations are provided to multiple DHS divisions including management and oversight, security and enforcement agencies (Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Secret Service), emergency preparedness and response agencies (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, FEMA), and services and training divisions (Citizenship and Immigration Services, Law Enforcement Training Centers, Science and Technology Directorate). The bill authorizes back pay for federal employees affected by the shutdown and ratifies obligations incurred during the shutdown period for maintaining essential operations and orderly termination of functions.

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Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act This bill provides appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the remainder of FY2026. It also ends the partial DHS shutdown that began on February 14, 2026, because the continuing resolution (CR) that was funding DHS expired and a regular FY2026 DHS appropriations bill had not been enacted. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to DHS for Departmental Management, Intelligence, Situational Awareness, and Oversight, including the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management; the Management Directorate; Intelligence, Analysis, and Situational Awareness; and the Office of Inspector General. In addition, the bill provides appropriations for Security, Enforcement, and Investigations, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service. The bill provides appropriations for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill provides appropriations for Research, Development, Training, and Services, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and the Science and Technology Directorate. The bill also authorizes back pay, in accordance with current law, for federal employees who were affected by the partial DHS shutdown. Finally, the bill ratifies and approves certain obligations that were incurred during the partial DHS shutdown, including obligations incurred to maintain the essential level of activity to protect life and property and bring about an orderly termination of government functions.