Congress guarantees DHS and Coast Guard paychecks during shutdown.
H.R. 5398 — Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act of 2026 · Filed by Bill Huizenga (R-MI) · 24 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 16, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill ensures that Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officers, Coast Guard personnel, and essential DHS administrative staff continue to receive paychecks during a government shutdown in fiscal years 2026 or 2027. It appropriates whatever funds are necessary to keep these workers paid until either a full budget is passed, a continuing resolution is enacted, or January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a continuing appropriation to ensure DHS and Coast Guard personnel receive salaries during shutdown periods. It is a straightforward fiscal measure with no hidden provisions or narrow beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- Establishes a precedent that certain federal workforces (law enforcement, Coast Guard) are deemed too critical to go unpaid during shutdowns, potentially creating pressure for similar carve-outs for other agencies in future shutdowns.
- The Secretary of DHS gains discretion to determine which 'other' employees or contractors are 'necessary' to carry out the appropriation, creating potential for scope creep beyond the named law enforcement series.
- Appropriation terminates if Congress passes a continuing resolution WITHOUT an appropriation for DHS/Coast Guard purposes—meaning a CR that omits DHS entirely would cut off emergency funding, creating pressure to include DHS in any CR.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Federal employees and their families avoid financial hardship during shutdown; essential border security and Coast Guard operations continue without staffing collapse. The bill protects workers' livelihoods and maintains critical public safety functions.
Named in the bill
Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, U.S. Treasury, House Committee on Appropriations
Where it stands
24 cosponsors: 23 Republicans, 1 Democrats.
- Sep 16, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Sep 16, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Appropriations · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,516 characters) on Aug 19, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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