BREAKING: Congress Jets Off to Europe as DHS Shutdown Hits Midnight Deadline
A partial government shutdown officially began at midnight this Saturday, February 14, 2026, triggering a funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As federal workers brace for missed paychecks and operational disruptions, a contingent of U.S. lawmakers has drawn sharp criticism for departing Washington to attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
The Situation on the Ground
At 12:01 a.m. ET, funding authorization for the DHS expired after the Senate adjourned without passing a stopgap measure. The impasse leaves critical agencies—including the Secret Service, FEMA, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)—operating without guaranteed funding. While essential personnel will continue to work, they will do so without pay until a resolution is reached.
Despite the domestic crisis, multiple Senators and congressional delegations have proceeded with travel plans to Europe for the 62nd Munich Security Conference, a premier global defense forum running through February 15. Reports indicate that while some official House delegations (CODELs) faced cancellation due to procedural rules triggered by the shutdown, other lawmakers, particularly from the Senate, have already departed or are currently en route.
Why They Are Leaving: The “Diplomatic Necessity” Defense
Critics have labeled the timing “inexcusable” and “embarrassing,” arguing that legislative duties in Washington should take precedence over international summits during a domestic funding crisis. However, supporters of the delegation argue that the trip is not a vacation but a critical diplomatic mission.
Defenders of the travel point to the following justifications:
Global Stability: The Munich Security Conference is the world’s leading forum for international security policy. With ongoing geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and the Pacific, lawmakers argue that a U.S. no-show would signal weakness and isolationism to adversaries.
Reassuring Allies: In an era of “wrecking-ball politics,” as described by conference organizers, the congressional presence is intended to reassure NATO allies that the United States remains a reliable partner despite internal political gridlock.
Scheduled Commitments: These diplomatic missions are planned months in advance. Proponents argue that canceling them would damage long-term diplomatic relationships and that the shutdown is a result of leadership failures in negotiation, not the absence of specific rank-and-file members attending the summit.
Background: The Immigration Impasse
The shutdown is the culmination of a bitter, months-long standoff over immigration enforcement. Democrats have refused to approve new DHS funding without significant “guardrails” on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These demands follow a series of controversial enforcement actions in January that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
Republicans have rejected these conditions as “unreasonable” restrictions on law enforcement, pushing for a “clean” funding bill that maintains current operational authorities. The deadlock has already forced a brief funding gap earlier this year, and with Congress now in recess for the President’s Day holiday week, this latest shutdown is poised to last at least ten days before lawmakers return to Capitol Hill.
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