Trump Urges Congress to Cancel Recess, Address DHS Shutdown

White House says president wants lawmakers to return to Capitol and 'do its job' on funding Homeland Security.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 7:50pm

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A dynamic, fragmented painting depicting government symbols like a gavel, American flag, and Capitol building in bold, overlapping brushstrokes of red, white, and blue, conveying the chaotic political stalemate over federal agency funding.As partisan gridlock continues to paralyze Congress, the president demands lawmakers return from recess to address the ongoing DHS funding crisis.Washington Today

President Donald Trump is calling on Congress to cancel its upcoming two-week recess and return to Washington to address the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding shutdown. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is encouraging lawmakers to come back and 'permanently fix this problem and to fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security entirely.'

Why it matters

The DHS shutdown has led to long wait times at U.S. airports as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been impacted. Trump has signed an executive order to pay TSA employees, but the White House says that is not a long-term solution. The shutdown has also exposed partisan divisions between Republicans and Democrats over immigration and border security policies.

The details

The Senate last week approved a DHS spending measure that excluded new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection, at the request of Democrats. House GOP leaders rejected that measure and instead approved an eight-week DHS funding bill along party lines. The White House is blaming Democrats for 'holding our entire country hostage' and 'picking and choosing which programs and agencies they want to fund just because they don't like this administration's policies.'

  • The Senate approved a DHS spending measure last week.
  • House GOP leaders rejected the Senate measure and approved an eight-week DHS funding bill.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who is urging Congress to cancel its recess and address the DHS funding shutdown.

Karoline Leavitt

The White House Press Secretary who spoke on behalf of President Trump about the DHS shutdown.

Adam Smith

The ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, a Democrat from Washington, who said Republicans could have funded the TSA by passing the Senate DHS spending measure.

Mike Johnson

The Republican Speaker of the House who has not allowed a vote on the Senate DHS spending measure, according to Rep. Adam Smith.

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What they’re saying

“'The president is also encouraging Congress to come back to Washington to permanently fix this problem and to fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security entirely.'”

— Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary

“'Why won't (Speaker) Mike Johnson allow a vote? Because, tell you something, if he allowed a vote, it would pass. All Democrats would vote for it. Eighty percent of Republicans would vote for it. And TSA and everything else would be funded.'”

— Adam Smith, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.