Partnership for Public Service statement on continuing partial government shutdown 

March 27, 2026

WASHINGTON – The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service today released the following statement from president and CEO Max Stier after Congress failed to agree on legislation to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown: 

“Coming on the heels of the longest full shutdown in United States history, which cost our economy billions of dollars and caused lasting harm to federal agencies and the public they serve, our elected leaders have once again failed in their fundamental responsibility to keep the government running. 

“This is a lose-lose situation for everyone. After 213,000 DHS employees were asked to carry out their duties under extraordinarily difficult circumstances without pay during the 2025 shutdown, Congress and the administration are continuing to force them to work without pay for the indefinite future. Travelers are also missing their flights and enduring hours-long security lines. These are not abstract harms — they are the direct, predictable consequences of Congress and the administration failing to do its job.  

“Shutdowns are a costly and ineffective way to govern, and using vehicles like the National Emergency Act is not a substitute for a congressionally passed budget. The process for funding the government is broken, and Congress must act to fix it by passing the Shutdown Fairness Act proposed by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis) and others to end government shutdowns once and for all. The American people deserve a government that works for them 365 days a year without exception.” 

The Partnership recently published results from the proprietary Public Service Viewpoint Survey to understand the state of federal employee engagement and its impact on effective service delivery at DHS and other federal agencies. Learn more here. 

During the past 25 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees.      

Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more.        

###