(Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
President Trump on Sunday signed a memorandum ordering the Department of Homeland Security to pay its more than 35,000 employees as the government remains partially shut down.
The memo, entitled “Liberating the Department of Homeland Security From the Democrat-Caused Shutdown,” authorizes paychecks for DHS employees as the record-long shutdown nears 50 days.
“As President of the United States, I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security,” Trump writes.
“Accordingly, I hereby direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to the functions of DHS to provide each and every employee of DHS with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them if not for the Democrat-led DHS shutdown.”
“Once regular funding for DHS has been restored, every effort should be made, as authorized by law, to adjust applicable funding accounts within DHS to ensure the continuation of DHS operations and activities consistent with planned expenditures prior to the lapse,” the memo continues.
Trump also slams Democrats, writing, ” More than 35,000 employees, including Coast Guard civilians, Federal Emergency Management Agency employees helping to prepare the Nation for disaster response, and cybersecurity professionals at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have gone without a paycheck for nearly 2 months because of congressional Democrats.”
This comes after Trump signed an executive order authorizing pay for TSA agents to alleviate the chaos at airports, but other functions of DHS, including the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Administration, remain defunded.
Trump has repeatedly called on the Senate to terminate the filibuster and pass a bill that would fund the entire Department of Homeland Security after Democrats attempted to defund ICE and CBP.
The House of Representatives recently blocked a bipartisan Senate-backed bill that funded DHS but excluded funding for ICE and CBP.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced plans on Wednesday to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP, for the next three years.
However, the plans will pass the previously blocked Senate bill and would not terminate the filibuster. The plan would separately fund ICE and CBP through reconciliation.
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