HR 7147: Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026.

HR 7147 in plain English: This bill provides continuing FY2026 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at generally FY2025 funding levels through May 22, 2026, ending a partial DHS shutdown that began February 14, 2026. It authorizes back pay for federal employees affected by the shutdown and ratifies obligations incurred during the shutdown period to protect life and property.

Stated purpose

To provide temporary funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through May 22, 2026, at prior-year spending levels, ending a partial DHS shutdown and authorizing back pay for affected federal employees.

Key points

• Funds DHS agencies at FY2025 levels through May 22, 2026, ending the partial DHS shutdown that began February 14, 2026
• Provides $10,635,434,000 for Transportation Security Administration operations and support
• Provides $11,272,401,000 for Coast Guard operations, including $530,000,000 for defense-related activities
• Authorizes back pay for federal employees affected by the partial DHS shutdown
• Provides $3,128,304,000 for U.S. Secret Service operations and support, including $6,000,000 for missing and exploited children grants

Arguments supporters make

• Ending the shutdown restores normal DHS operations quickly, keeping border security, disaster response, and other protective services running without further disruption.
• Authorizing back pay fulfills the government's obligation to workers who were required to work or were furloughed through no fault of their own.
• Funding at prior-year levels is a straightforward, bipartisan approach that keeps government open while Congress works toward a full-year budget agreement.

Arguments opponents make

• A short-term patch only delays the hard budget decisions and creates uncertainty for agencies that cannot plan or hire effectively under repeated temporary funding measures.
• Funding DHS at flat, prior-year levels may not keep pace with current security needs or may lock in spending that one side sees as too high or too low.
• Explicitly zeroing out guidance for immigration enforcement programs like ICE and Border Security Operations reflects a policy choice that critics argue bypasses the normal legislative debate over those priorities.

Tradeoffs

Passing a continuing resolution ends an immediate shutdown and protects workers and services, but it does so by deferring full-year funding decisions and giving agencies no ability to adjust spending to meet current priorities until a permanent bill is enacted.

Current status in Congress: Became law.

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