H.R. 8029
Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act
Sponsor: Juan Ciscomani · 0 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
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.
Text of the bill
A Department of Homeland Security Appropriations
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(a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Homeland Security by this Act may be used to prevent any of the following persons from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens, or to make any temporary modification at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a visiting Member of Congress or such designated employee, compared to what would be observed in the absence of such modification:
(1) A Member of Congress.
(2) An employee of the United States House of Representatives or the United States Senate designated by such a Member for the purposes of this section.
(b) Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility described in subsection (a) for the purpose of conducting oversight.
(c) With respect to individuals described in subsection (a)(2), the Department of Homeland Security may require that a request be made at least 24 hours in advance of an intent to enter a facility described in subsection (a).
B Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026