How much does the Homeland Security shutdown matter to the public? – Roll Call

Podcasts

How much does the Homeland Security shutdown matter to the public?

Political Theater, Episode 403

Spring is in the air, and Congress is in recess — despite a partial government shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. — Spring is in the air, and Congress is in recess — despite a partial government shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

By Jason Dick and Jessica Wehrman

Posted April 2, 2026 at 11:25am

Jason Dick and Jessica Wehrman wonder what members of Congress are doing on their two-week recess, coming as it does while the Homeland Security Department isn’t being funded by Congress, as well as what they did, and observed, on recent trips back home to Arizona and Ohio, respectively.

Show Notes:

Recent Stories

Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., speaks during a subcommittee hearing on June 3.

Bipartisan changes made to kids’ internet safety bill

Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman who died Monday at the age of 100, is seen here testifying at a House Financial Services panel hearing in 2010.

Remembering Alan Greenspan

Capitol Lens | Fountain dew

Water from a fountain shoots in the air outside the Capitol. Summer in D.C. is often muggy, hot and filled with legislative angst.

This week: Lawmakers feel the summer sweat

Then-staffer John Leganski points past his boss, Kevin McCarthy, during a speaker vote on Jan. 6, 2023. His bright orange tie briefly became a meme as the nation watched historic scenes of uncertainty play out on the House floor that week.

A staffer’s guide to winning and losing the speakership

Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap applauds during a May Day rally organized by local unions outside Portland City Hall. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)

Matt Dunlap wins Democratic primary for battleground Maine seat