The U.S. federal government’s 2026 fiscal year began October 1, 2025. Since that date, 137 days have passed. On that date, the federal government shutdown began, and that shutdown lasted for 43 days, the longest in American history.

Since February 14, funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed and essential DHS workers must work without pay until the funding is restored; this is 32 days. (DHS employees will get paid the back pay they’re owed, but they have no idea when that back pay will arrive.)

This means that if you are an “essential worker” for DHS, you have worked without pay for 75 days, or 54 percent of this fiscal year so far. This is a rotten way to treat people who have signed on to the job of protecting us, and it is a particularly rotten way to treat people who have signed on to the job of protecting us when we face a higher threat of terrorism because of an ongoing war against the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.

This past weekend, New Jersey senator Cory Booker appeared on CNN’s State of the Union:

JAKE TAPPER: So, in terms of the security of our home, there have been a number of attacks, the ISIS-inspired bombing attempt in New York City outside Mamdani’s house, a shooting target at an ROTC class at Old Dominion, and on and on and on. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is still shut down because Senate Democrats are blocking the funding bill over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Given the security concerns you just expressed, and given the fact that, honestly, Secretary Noem has been fired, Tom Homan took over from Greg Bovino and Noem in Minnesota, you could argue Democrats won the debate. Isn’t it time for Democrats to reopen and refund DHS? BOOKER: So, first of all, Democrats have tried multiple times to try to get TSA, CISA, the Coast Guard funded. Republicans have refused time and time again to fund… TAPPER: Yes, they want the whole agency funded. BOOKER: They want the whole agency.

JAKE TAPPER: So, in terms of the security of our home, there have been a number of attacks, the ISIS-inspired bombing attempt in New York City outside Mamdani’s house, a shooting target at an ROTC class at Old Dominion, and on and on and on. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is still shut down because Senate Democrats are blocking the funding bill over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Given the security concerns you just expressed, and given the fact that, honestly, Secretary Noem has been fired, Tom Homan took over from Greg Bovino and Noem in Minnesota, you could argue Democrats won the debate. Isn’t it time for Democrats to reopen and refund DHS?

BOOKER: So, first of all, Democrats have tried multiple times to try to get TSA, CISA, the Coast Guard funded. Republicans have refused time and time again to fund…

TAPPER: Yes, they want the whole agency funded.

BOOKER: They want the whole agency.

Republicans want the whole agency funded? Those bastards! How dare they!

© National Review