Trump issues order declaring all DHS staff get paid amid partial shutdown | Trump administration
Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday announcing that all Department of Homeland Security employees will receive pay and benefits during the agency’s partial shutdown.
The “Rescue the Department of Homeland Security from the Democrat-Induced Shutdown” memo is similar to Trump’s executive order calling for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to be paid during last week’s shutdown.
In the order, Trump directed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to “use funds that have a reasonable and reasonable connection with the functions of DHS” to pay “each employee of DHS.”
“This insensitive treatment of DHS employees must end to ensure that America is not susceptible to security threats and is prepared to respond to emergencies,” the resolution states.
The partial shutdown, now in its 49th day, is the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Democrats have refused to support a proposed funding bill for DHS that would give money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without imposing new guardrails on federal agents’ immigration operations, while House Republicans rejected a compromise last week that would have funded DHS and excluded funding for ICE and other offices focused on immigration enforcement.
Although Republicans in the House and Senate appeared to reach an agreement this week, House Republicans took no action to pass the legislation when they met on Thursday. It’s unclear when they will take up the bill.
Trump first announced his intention to pay DHS employees on Thursday.
“Their families have suffered for too long,” Trump said about DHS workers in his social media post. “Help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who work hard and do their part to protect and defend our country.”
The vast majority of DHS employees reported working during the shutdown, but thousands were furloughed without pay. As more TSA agents are called away from work, there has been growing frustration for air travelers who face long waits in some airport security lines. Those bottlenecks appear to be clearing up this week as agents began receiving their back pay after Trump signed an executive order.
Approximately 10,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) employees are paid because their wages come from the non-expiring Disaster Relief Fund. At least 4,000 Fema employees have been furloughed or are currently working without pay.
Associated Press contributed reporting
