Senator Ron Johnson declared on Sunday that the partial government shutdown, now in its 36th day, shows no signs of resolution, leaving the Department of Homeland Security unfunded and creating mounting operational crises. The Wisconsin Republican placed the blame squarely on Senate Democrats for refusing to pass appropriations without attaching significant policy changes to immigration enforcement.
"We are a month into this, and DHS is still not funded, and there's really no end in sight," Johnson said during an interview on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday." He argued that Democratic opposition is forcing President Trump to take extraordinary measures to maintain security, stating, "Let's not play games with the security of our homeland. But we don't have that."
Johnson accused Democrats of facing no media accountability for their stance, claiming the political dynamic would be reversed if Republicans were blocking funding. "If their tables were turned, we would have been excoriated in the media weeks ago. We would have caved. DHS would have been funded," he said.
Policy Demands at Core of Standoff
The shutdown's immediate impact is being felt most acutely at airports nationwide, where Transportation Security Administration agents are working without pay for the second time in six months. The Democratic caucus has repeatedly blocked a House-passed bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the TSA, demanding policy concessions including the removal of masks from immigration agents, the use of judicial warrants, and the implementation of body-worn cameras.
This legislative blockade has triggered a deepening TSA staffing crisis, leading to significant operational disruptions. In response to the security gaps, the administration has initiated deployments of ICE agents to major airports to assist with screening and security, a temporary measure that highlights the strain on the system.
Economic and Structural Warnings
Johnson warned that the continued shutdown would harm the economy, referencing the impact of the last funding lapse. "The last shutdown shaved, I don't know what, 1 or 2 percent away from GDP," he told host Chris Stirewalt. He framed the Democratic strategy of funding only select agencies as a dangerous precedent.
"That's a slippery slope to go down because now you start carving out any kind of funding they don't like," Johnson stated. He connected the current impasse to broader dysfunction in Congress, arguing that the practice of bipartisan deal-making—"We'll fund your priorities. You fund ours"—has contributed to the national debt but is essential to governance. "The minute you start breaking that, the thing completely collapses," he said.
The senator was blunt in his assessment of the institution, adding, "I'm not going to defend Congress. It is horribly broken. The Senate is horribly broken. We need a paradigm shift in terms of how we govern this country." His comments come as Republican unity shows signs of strain over the prolonged shutdown strategy amid growing public frustration with travel disruptions.
The standoff is further complicated by the President's own linkage of DHS funding to election-related legislation, creating a multi-front political battle with no clear path to reopening the department responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, and transportation safety.
