U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) has announced his support for the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act of 2026, a bill designed to ensure that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement personnel continue to receive their pay during government shutdowns.
Bean stated, “Our TSA agents, Border Patrol officers, ICE agents, and DHS law enforcement personnel show up every day to keep our country safe. Their commitment doesn’t pause for a government shutdown—and their paychecks shouldn’t either. I’m proud to support legislation that guarantees these frontline defenders are paid for the essential work they do despite the Senate’s inability to pass a spending bill.”
Currently, essential DHS employees are required to work without compensation during shutdowns, which can affect morale and operational readiness. The proposed legislation, H.R. 5389, seeks to address this by guaranteeing timely pay for various roles within DHS who must continue working in such circumstances. These roles include General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement and Compliance staff such as USCIS Immigration Officers and ICE Deportation Officers; Transportation Security Officers; Criminal Investigators like HSI Special Agents and U.S. Secret Service Criminal Investigators; CBP interdiction staff; Customs and Border Protection Officers; U.S. Border Patrol Agents; DHS Aircraft Operators; Secret Service Police; necessary payment processing staff; as well as U.S. Coast Guard members, civilian personnel, and contractors not otherwise covered by existing law.
The coverage provided by the bill is time-limited: it applies to any government shutdown occurring in fiscal year 2026 and will extend into fiscal year 2027 if necessary until its authority ends on January 1, 2027 unless Congress acts sooner.
Aaron Bean currently represents Florida’s 4th district in the U.S. Congress after replacing John Rutherford in 2023. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 and in the Florida Senate from 2012 to 2022. Born in Fernandina Beach in 1967, Bean continues to reside there and graduated from Jacksonville University with a bachelor’s degree in science in 1989.
Further details about the bill can be found by reading the full text online.
