After months of contentious debate, Congress yesterday passed legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the rest of the fiscal year, averting a homeland-security shutdown by ensuring that the agency will continue to operate normally through at least September.
"Every day, the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security work to secure our borders, respond to disasters, guard our coasts, protect our cybersecurity, and keep our ports and airports safe. They're law enforcement professionals and brave patriots who do a remarkable job, and deserve our gratitude and respect. Today, after far too long, Congress finally voted to fully fund their mission," President Barack Obama said in a statement following the passage of yesterday's bill. "To make sure the Americans who protect our country and our people have the resources they need to get the job done, I will sign this bill into law as soon as I receive it."
The travel industry simultaneously applauded and chided the Congressional action, which ends a stalemate between Republicans, who wanted DHS funding to include provisions limiting the president's executive action on immigration, and Democrats, who argued that funding should be granted without conditions.
"The Global Business Travel Association [GBTA] is relieved Congress took action to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of this fiscal year, ensuring that road warriors can continue to travel without disruption. We are, however, disappointed that the path to a full-year funding bill was fraught with uncertainty," GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick said in a statement. "Congress must stop moving from crisis-to-crisis, and instead provide the travel community and travel programs the certainty that they need. Narrowly averting a crisis such as a DHS shutdown sends the wrong signal to businesses."
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