Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) accused Democrats of “playing politics” over a government shutdown, warning that a lapse in appropriations would force roughly 260,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees to keep working without pay, according to Fox News.
- Who said it: Sen. Bernie Moreno, a first-term Republican senator from Ohio, in comments highlighted by Fox News.
- What he’s alleging: Moreno said Democrats were blaming Republicans for a shutdown and asked, “How do you sleep at night,” calling the situation “disgraceful,” Fox News reported.
- Workers impacted: Moreno pointed to about 260,000 DHS employees who he said would be required to work without pay during a funding lapse, per Fox News.
- Pay impact: During a shutdown, many federal employees face delayed pay until Congress passes a funding measure; workers deemed “excepted” continue working even when pay is interrupted, while others are furloughed. (General shutdown procedures are governed by longstanding federal guidance; Fox News focused on Moreno’s DHS headcount claim.)
- Agencies affected: DHS includes operational components such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Secret Service, the Coast Guard, and FEMA—many with missions that continue during funding gaps.
- Why DHS is central: A large share of DHS personnel are typically categorized as excepted because of national security, public safety, and border/transportation security functions—meaning they may be required to report even if pay is delayed.
Brief context: Shutdowns occur when Congress and the White House do not enact appropriations or a continuing resolution by the funding deadline. In prior shutdowns, “excepted” employees continued working without immediate pay, while “non-excepted” employees were furloughed, with back pay typically provided after funding is restored under federal law. Fox News framed Moreno’s remarks as part of a broader partisan dispute over responsibility for a shutdown and its consequences for federal workers.
For federal employees and service members, the immediate practical issues in a shutdown scenario are usually: whether you are designated excepted or furloughed, whether your paycheck is delayed, and what happens to benefits and leave while agencies operate under shutdown contingency plans. Employees should watch for agency-specific guidance from their leadership and HR offices; DHS components generally issue reporting instructions quickly when appropriations lapse. For pay and shutdown basics, see FedBrief’s explainer: https://fedbrief.org/
Source: Fox News Politics, “How do you sleep at night? Moreno slams ‘disgraceful’ shutdown leaving 260,000 workers without pay” (accessed March 19, 2026): https://www.foxnews.com/politics/how-do-you-sleep-night-moreno-slams-disgraceful-shutdown-leaving-260000-workers-without-pay