Congressman Cloud: Partial Shutdown ‘Won’t Last Long’ as DHS Funding Battle Heats Up

By Theodore Bunker | Thursday, February 19, 2026

Representative Michael Cloud, a Republican from Texas and member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, stated Thursday that the ongoing partial federal government shutdown is unlikely to last much longer as lawmakers prepare to return to Washington with renewed focus on disputed Department of Homeland Security funding.

The partial shutdown, which has largely affected only the Department of Homeland Security after Congress failed to pass a spending bill, disrupted agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secret Service, and the Transportation Security Administration due to expiring funding. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection remain operational under prior authorizations.

Cloud said the current impasse “doesn’t really make any sense,” noting that Democrats claim the shutdown centers on immigration but “ICE is already funded.”

“This is what’s being defunded here: FEMA, [the] Secret Service, cybersecurity, and other critical homeland security functions,” Cloud stated.

The congressman sharply criticized Democrats for elevating immigration reforms to the forefront of the debate, calling it a “political football” that has stalled progress and jeopardized essential security operations.

“They’ve got no agenda,” Cloud added. “They’ve got no plan for America. And so this is what we’re left with.”

Cloud expressed confidence that once Congress reconvenes next week, lawmakers will resolve the funding issue quickly.

“I don’t think it will last too much longer when they get back,” he said. “It doesn’t have too many legs to stand on. But we’ll see—you can never put it past them.”

Congress is scheduled to reconvene next week, and lawmakers face pressure to either fund the Department of Homeland Security or risk prolonging the shutdown.