We asked every lawmaker in Congress what they're doing to end the DHS shutdown
Lawmakers and President Trump appear to be edging closer to a framework to wrap up the Department of Homeland Security shutdown — but a breakthrough has remained out of reach. CBS News contacted every House and Senate office to ask what they're doing to end the shutdown.
March 24, 2026 / 10:13 PM EDT / CBS News
Early this week, Senate Republicans and the president appeared to be edging closer to a framework to ending the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which is now in its second month — but a breakthrough has remained out of reach.
CBS News contacted all 532 House and Senate offices (there are three House vacancies) about the DHS funding impasse and asked what lawmakers are doing to end the shutdown.
How would they restore DHS funding? What's their message to Americans waiting in hourslong airport security lines? And what do they have to say to unpaid TSA workers who are about to miss their second full paycheck Friday?
Twenty Senate offices responded substantively to CBS News's inquiries.
Republicans blamed Democrats for blocking efforts to fully fund DHS. The House of Representatives has twice passed such a bill with a handful of Democrats signing on, but in the Senate, Democrats have held up the bill over demands for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement reforms after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in January.