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Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act of 2026
To provide salary and expenses for Department of Homeland Security personnel during a Government shutdown during fiscal year 2026 or fiscal year 2027, and for other purposes.
Summary
HR 5398 would appropriate funds to pay Department of Homeland Security law enforcement personnel, administrative staff, and Coast Guard members during a government shutdown in fiscal years 2026 or 2027. The bill covers specific DHS law enforcement positions and any other DHS employees or contractors the Secretary determines are necessary for payroll and administrative functions. The appropriation would remain in effect until either an appropriations bill or continuing resolution is enacted or until January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4] (R-MI)
24 cosponsors
- Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7] (R-MI)
- Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-FL-4] (R-FL)
- Rep. Bice, Stephanie I. [R-OK-5] (R-OK)
- Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] (R-CO)
- Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8] (R-PA)
- Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6] (R-FL)
- Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1] (R-MN)
- Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23] (R-TX)
- Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3] (R-MS)
- Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2] (R-IA)
- Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38] (R-TX)
- Rep. James, John [R-MI-10] (R-MI)
- Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA)
- Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC)
- Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21] (R-FL)
- Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5] (R-VA)
- Rep. Mills, Cory [R-FL-7] (R-FL)
- Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4] (R-WA)
- Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] (R-OH)
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL)
- Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8] (R-MN)
- Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] (R-NY)
- Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] (R-NY)
- Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] (R-IN)
Actions (2)
- Sep 16, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations. · house
- Sep 16, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2025
Mr. Huizenga (for himself, Ms. Boebert, Ms. Tenney, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Bean of Florida, and Mrs. Bice) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations
A BILL
To provide salary and expenses for Department of Homeland Security personnel during a Government shutdown during fiscal year 2026 or fiscal year 2027, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR DHS EMPLOYEES DURING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
(a) In General.—There are hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 or fiscal year 2027 are not in effect such sums as are necessary to provide pay and allowances to—
(1) law enforcement personnel of the Department of Homeland Security during such period, including any personnel within classification series 0083, 1801, 1802, 1811, 1881, 1895, 1896, or 2181 (or any successor series);
(2) any Department of Homeland Security employees or contractors that the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out this subsection, including employees or contractors involved in the administrative, payroll, distribution, accounting, and commercial accounts functions; and
(3) members, civilian personnel, and contractors of the United States Coast Guard during such period, to the extent not otherwise provided for by law.
(b) Termination.—Appropriations and authority granted pursuant to this Act shall remain available until the earlier of the following:
(1) The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a continuing resolution) for any of the purposes described in subsection (a).
(2) The enactment into law of a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution without an appropriation for those purposes.
(3) January 1, 2027. <all>
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