“Déjà vu all over again” – Yogi Berra
Dr. Allen Mendenhall, PhD, Research Fellow at the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies and Senior Advisor at the Free Enterprise Initiative, joins the Morning Update Show to discuss the Democratic-led effort to shut down the federal Government over the Department of Homeland Security funding.
In the latter part of 2025, the Senate Democrats shut down the federal government for 43 days. The stated reason for the 2025 shutdown was a request to roll back the planned loss of the ACA premium subsidies passed in 2021 by Congressional Democrats, who also set a 2025 expiration.
Congress negotiated a compromise that addressed concerns about the ACA premium subsidies. Congress passed the required bills, and as of Friday, January 23rd, 2026, it appeared that the Federal Government funding package would pass.
However, the shooting death in Minnesota of Alex Pretti was met with a threat by Senate Democrats (and seven Republicans) to vote against the funding measures unless Department of Homeland Security funding was removed from the package.
Note that the following bureaus are part of the DHS:
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): Manages, controls, and protects borders and ports of entry.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Enforces federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration.
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Secures transportation systems (airports, railroads, etc.).
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Manages disaster response and recovery.
- U.S. Coast Guard (USCG): Handles maritime safety, security, and stewardship.
- U.S. Secret Service (USSS): Protects national leaders and investigates financial crimes.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Protects critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): Oversees lawful immigration to the United States.
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC): Provides training to federal, state, and local law enforcement.
- Federal Protective Service (FPS): Secures5 federal buildings and properties.
