Senate returns at 3 p.m. to vote on ending DHS partial shutdown

The U.S. Senate returned to Washington at 3 p.m. ET Monday with a planned vote to try to end a partial Department of Homeland Security funding lapse that has entered its 17th day and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers facing partial or missed paychecks. Lawmakers face a procedural 60-vote threshold to advance legislation, and an earlier Senate roll-call fell 50–45, short of that requirement.

The funding lapse began on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, after congressional negotiations over DHS appropriations stalled. Senate leaders scheduled the Monday session with the explicit aim of moving a measure to restore DHS funding, though sources show previous calendar promises went unfulfilled: no Senate vote was taken on Thursday, Feb. 26, and senators did not return on Feb. 27 as some advocates had hoped.

The partial lapse has produced uneven effects across DHS components. President Donald Trump’s so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill" has been credited with keeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and most of the Coast Guard funded, while other critical functions have been curtailed or left operating without full appropriations. Transportation Security Administration agents and Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel are among those reported to be facing missed paychecks and the prospect of working without pay should the situation continue. Customs and Border Protection suspended Global Entry at airports on Feb. 22, and a planned suspension of TSA PreCheck was publicly reversed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem after it was announced.

Operational disruptions have extended to travel, with airports reporting delays and some cancellations tied to the staffing and payroll uncertainties inside DHS components. The administration and congressional negotiators have warned that prolonged lapse risks broader impacts on homeland security operations and emergency response. Lawmakers have framed the funding impasse against a backdrop of heightened international tensions tied to strikes and exchanges involving Iran and Israel, raising concern among some members about public safety at major events, including the World Cup.

Politically, the Senate vote Monday follows a week in which Senate Democrats blocked a House-passed DHS funding bill, and Democrats have since said they are considering a counteroffer presented Feb. 27 by the White House and Senate Republicans. The stalled 50–45 vote referenced by senators marks at least the second attempt on the Senate floor since the shutdown began; proponents must secure 60 votes to overcome filibuster-related procedures and progress to final passage.

The coming days will also put DHS leadership under sharper scrutiny. Secretary Noem is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for oversight on Tuesday morning, and the House Judiciary Committee is slated to hear from her on Wednesday. Those hearings are likely to probe payroll decisions, service disruptions such as the Global Entry suspension, and contingency plans for DHS missions during funding gaps.

The shutdown will end only when Senate Democrats and Republicans agree on a DHS funding measure as part of the 2026 appropriations process. For now, the Monday vote is positioned as the next pivotal test of whether lawmakers can bridge the procedural vote threshold and restore funding to the sprawling department.