Government Shutdown Deepens Crisis Amid Historic Winter Storm as DHS Operations Stall

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., warned Friday that a partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security is harming critical national security and emergency response functions during a powerful winter storm battering the Northeast.

The shutdown, now in its second week after lawmakers failed to agree on DHS funding, has already suspended several programs and strained federal operations.

Speaking from Washington where she was attending a scheduled session, Malliotakis reported hearing from constituents in New York facing severe conditions due to heavy snowfall, high winds, and travel disruptions. She described the situation as “brutal,” stressing the importance of safety during extreme weather.

“It is really an unprecedented storm. For the last few years, we haven’t had a significant storm like this,” Malliotakis said. “And let’s see if the mayor learned from the mistakes of that first storm, and we’ll see things run a little more smoothly.”

The shutdown has led to operational disruptions, including temporary suspensions and reinstatements of TSA PreCheck and the suspension of the Global Entry program due to funding gaps.

Essential employees at FEMA and the TSA are working without pay this month while many nonessential functions remain paused.

Malliotakis criticized Democratic leaders for politicizing the shutdown and urged a quick resolution to restore full operations. “This is a really important point we’ve been warning about for weeks — a shutdown, even though Democrats want to make this political and simply about ICE, there’s so much more to the Department of Homeland Security,” she said.

She emphasized that critical components including FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA, and ICE are impacted by the funding lapse. “We need to remember that these federal employees who are dedicated — whether they are at FEMA, in the Coast Guard, at TSA, or as ICE agents — are working right now without being paid come the first of the month,” Malliotakis added. “And so we thank them for their service.”

Malliotakis also directly appealed to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to end the standoff. “We’re hopeful that Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer will come to their senses and end this, because even though they’ve tried to make this about ICE — and ICE has the funding right now to continue its work — what they’re really doing is affecting counterterrorism, cybersecurity, as well as emergency management,” she said.

She warned that the timing of the shutdown could undermine security at major events this year, including the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and the upcoming FIFA World Cup set to take place across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico later this summer.

“There’s a lot of security issues we need to make sure are running smoothly, and they can’t necessarily operate at maximum capacity if they continue to be experiencing a shutdown,” Malliotakis stated.

Congress returned to Washington Monday under pressure to pass funding legislation and end the shutdown as severe winter weather continues to impact the Northeast.