Congress guarantees border agents get paid during shutdown standoffs
H.R. 5260 — Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act · Filed by Mónica De La Cruz (R-TX) · 32 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill appropriates federal funds to pay the salaries and expenses of Border Patrol agents and CBP officers who continue working during a government shutdown in fiscal year 2026. It ensures these employees receive paychecks even when discretionary appropriations lapse, addressing a recurring problem where essential border security personnel work without pay during budget standoffs.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a straightforward appropriation ensuring federal employees in a critical function receive compensation during budget lapses. It is a narrow, targeted measure addressing a specific workforce protection issue.
What the text implies
- Sets precedent for carving out specific agencies from shutdown furlough via appropriations, potentially fragmenting shutdown response across future bills.
- Does not address underlying structural problem: recurring shutdowns and the need for comprehensive appropriations reform.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Federal employees performing essential border security work are protected from unpaid labor during government shutdowns. This prevents a class of workers from bearing the fiscal cost of congressional budget disputes and ensures continuity of critical government functions without sacrificing worker compensation.