Lee Urges Senate to Reconvene, Fund DHS Amid Shutdown

Utah senator calls on colleagues to cut recess short and address airport security crisis.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 8:22pm

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Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is calling on his Senate colleagues to return from their two-week recess and reconvene in Washington to address the ongoing partial government shutdown and the funding crisis at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Lee warned that the shutdown's impact on airport security and travel is worsening, and urged senators to fulfill their duties despite the desire to take a break.

Why it matters

The partial government shutdown, now in its 43rd day, is on track to become the longest in U.S. history. The impasse over immigration enforcement funding has disrupted air travel nationwide due to mounting staffing challenges at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Lee argues that senators must act quickly to resolve the DHS funding crisis before the situation at airports deteriorates further.

The details

After the Senate passed a unanimous consent proposal to fund the TSA and other critical DHS agencies without money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, the House passed a Republican-backed bill that would fund the entire agency at current levels for eight weeks. However, the differing approaches have left lawmakers no closer to breaking the stalemate. More than 480 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, and callout rates are surging as workers continue to miss paychecks.

  • The Senate left for Easter recess after passing the DHS funding proposal early Friday morning.
  • President Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing DHS to pay TSA employees during the shutdown, but they are not expected to see that money until at least Monday.

The players

Sen. Mike Lee

A Republican senator from Utah who is urging his colleagues to cut their recess short and return to Washington to address the DHS funding crisis.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The federal agency responsible for national security, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Border Patrol, whose funding is at the center of the ongoing government shutdown.

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What they’re saying

“If you don't want to fight fires, don't become a firefighter. If you don't want to take grueling votes at difficult hours and sometimes have to work longer than you want to, maybe you shouldn't become a United States senator.”

— Sen. Mike Lee

“Right at the beginning of the shutdown, contrary to my strong advice, we took a recess then, and I warned my colleagues, then, if we do this, we will lose leverage, that we will not get back, and it will get even harder.”

— Sen. Mike Lee

What’s next

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The takeaway

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