The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act (H.R. 8029)
Last action · April 2, 2026: Received in the Senate.Sponsor: Juan Ciscomani
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill provides funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the ending September 30, 2026, and includes provisions for disaster relief, border security, and agency operations. It also ratifies actions taken during a recent lapse in appropriations and sets strict reporting requirements for agency spending and staffing.
This legislation determines the operational budget for all DHS components, including Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard, and FEMA, directly impacting the resources available for border enforcement, disaster response, and national security infrastructure.
- H.R. 8029 is the annual appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2026. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
DHS Employees
The bill regulates pay, staffing reporting, and operational procedures for all DHS personnel.
Migrants
The bill mandates tracking and estimation of migrant arrivals and detention/removal figures.
Local and Tribal Governments
These entities are eligible for various grant programs, including the State Homeland Security Grant Program and emergency management grants.
Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
The bill provides funding for training and operations and sets requirements for inter-agency cooperation and reporting.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill change border crossing fees?
How does this bill affect disaster relief funding?
Are there new requirements for reporting on migrant arrivals?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Texas landowners sue federal government over border wall plans
Six Texas landowners and a nonprofit filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop border wall construction in the Big Bend region. The lawsuit challenges federal waivers used to bypass environmental and public health laws, and alleges the project violates fifth amendment due process rights. The court has 60 days to respond to the filing.
FEMA Review Council makes its recommendations to reform agency
A review council appointed by President Trump has finalized recommendations to reform FEMA, including privatizing flood insurance and shifting disaster response responsibilities to state, local, and tribal governments. The report follows internal agency challenges, including staffing and funding shortages, and arrives amid ongoing debates about the agency's future.
Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
16 actions- Apr 2, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseFloorOn passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 206 (Roll no. 104).
- Mar 26, 2026HouseFloorPassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 206 (Roll no. 104).
- Mar 26, 2026HouseOn motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 210 - 215 (Roll no. 103).
- Mar 26, 2026HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2751-2752)
Show 10 earlier actions
- Mar 26, 2026HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 8029, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Ms. DeLauro demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseMs. DeLauro moved to recommit to the Committee on Appropriations. (CR H2750)
- Mar 26, 2026HouseThe previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 8029.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseRule provides for consideration of H.R. 8029, H. Res. 1128, H.R. 5103 and H.R. 7084. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 8029, H. Res. 1128, H.R. 5103, and H.R. 7084 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit on H.R. 8029, H.R. 5103, and H.R. 7084.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseConsidered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1131. (consideration: CR H2731-2750)
- Mar 24, 2026HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1131 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8029, H. Res. 1128, H.R. 5103 and H.R. 7084. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 8029, H. Res. 1128, H.R. 5103, and H.R. 7084 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit on H.R. 8029, H.R. 5103, and H.R. 7084.
- Mar 20, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Mar 20, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
Total
419
- Yes
- 216
- No
- 203
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (419)
395 more members
Show 2 earlier roll calls
On Passage
Total
432
- Yes
- 218
- No
- 206
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 8
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (2)
On Motion to Recommit
Total
432
- Yes
- 210
- No
- 215
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 7
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (2)
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Increased Oversight of Migrant Data
The bill introduces new, mandatory monthly reporting requirements for migrant arrival and detention estimates, signaling a push for more data-driven budgeting in immigration enforcement.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance95How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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