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WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

Why Congress Failed, Again, to End the Shutdown of Homeland Security

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

News, Society & Culture

4.22.8K Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2026

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

During the wee hours, the Senate approves a bill to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security, but the House rejects the idea of partial DHS funding. While this puts a spotlight on Republican disagreements, Democrats are keeping the shutdown going by refusing policy concessions on immigration enforcement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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Based on average new for sale and rental listings July 24 through June 2025, number one trusted based on August 2025 proprietary survey

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among real estate professionals. From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

0:40.2

As airport security lines hit four and half hours in some places, the Senate in the dead of night finally passes a bill

0:45.3

to partially fund the Department of Homeland Security, which House Republicans now say

0:50.1

doesn't have support on their side of Congress. But President Trump now says he will try to

0:55.0

pay TSA airport screeners anyway. Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal. We're

1:01.2

joined today by my colleagues on the journal's opinion pages columnists Kim Strassel and Barton Swain.

1:08.0

The country has now reached day 42, believe it or not, of Chuck Schumer's shutdown of the

1:13.0

Department of Homeland Security, which has been operating in emergency mode since Valentine's Day,

1:18.2

with essential employees and agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration

1:22.8

and the Coast Guard, being asked to show up for work without getting the paychecks that they are owed.

1:28.7

And whether Congress is getting close to a breaking point still seems to be anybody's guess.

1:33.6

At about 2 a.m. on Friday morning, as the Senate was preparing to leave town, it used a voice vote to

1:39.5

pass a bill funding much of DHS, but not immigration enforcement.

1:45.0

Let's first listen to one of those sleep-deprived senators.

1:48.7

This is Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

1:51.0

Democrats held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump's rogue and deadly militia

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