The White House is ramping up pressure on Congress to cut short its Easter recess and return to Washington to resolve the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding standoff — a dispute now stretching past six weeks and increasingly affecting air travel nationwide.
At Monday’s briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt made clear the administration sees the situation as both urgent and avoidable, pointing directly at congressional Democrats as the source of the impasse.
“Nothing will be truly normal again until Democrats do the right thing to fund this agency fully again,” Leavitt said. “The president has stepped in – in the meantime to do what’s right to end this crisis that we’ve had at air travel, at airports across the country in the meantime.
“But again, Congress needs to come back. Democrats need to fund the Department of Homeland Security so we can formally and fully get these great employees paid long into the future.”
The shutdown has begun to show visible strain. Reports point to major TSA staffing shortages, longer-than-normal security lines at major airports, and even the deployment of ICE personnel to help fill operational gaps — an extraordinary measure underscoring the pressure on the system.
Congress departed Washington without a deal after negotiations broke down over DHS funding levels and immigration-related provisions. Since then, both parties have traded blame while unions, aviation officials, and travelers raise alarms about worsening conditions.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized lawmakers for leaving town amid the disruption, arguing the Senate in particular has no justification for remaining on break while a critical national security agency remains unfunded.
“I think you recall, he said that he’ll host a big Easter dinner here at the White House if Congress will come back and fight the Democrats on this issue, which we should do, because, again, the Democrat Party is in the wrong here,” Leavitt said. “They have voted seven times against funding the Department of Homeland Security, which is completely egregious with everything we have going on in the world – and these brave men and women who serve DHS deserve to get their paychecks.
“The president wants to see that happen, and he wants Congress to come back to get it done.”
The invitation to return comes as the White House prepares for its annual Easter events — including the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn, expected to draw thousands of families, and a formal Easter dinner hosted by the president. Administration officials have framed the contrast sharply: while holiday traditions continue at the White House, they argue Congress should not remain on recess while a funding crisis impacts both national security operations and everyday travel.
Behind the scenes, the White House has emphasized that temporary executive actions have helped stabilize airport operations, but officials insist those measures are not a substitute for full congressional funding.
The pressure campaign is likely to intensify in the coming days, especially as peak holiday travel continues and disruptions risk becoming more visible to the public.
