Prez Trump says will sign order to resume pay for Homeland Security

Washington: President Donald Trump said Thursday he will soon sign an order to pay all Department of

Homeland Security employees who have gone without paychecks during the partial government shutdown that has reached 48 days.

He announced the unilateral move in a social media post, blaming Democrats for the impasse while thanking Republican leaders for their work this week in trying to end the standoff.

The Republican president used a similar maneuver to resume pay for the Transportation Security Administration after many employees had called out from work, resulting in long delays at airport security lines for travellers.

Trump’s latest intervention is expected to apply to other non-law enforcement employees at the department, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Coast Guard and support staff.

Trump said their families “have suffered far too long.”

“Nevertheless, help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard, and do their part to protect and defend our Country,” Trump said. The DHS funding lapse had seemed likely to stretch into next week as the House is contemplating passing a Senate plan it

had previously rejected to fund the bulk of the agency, but not its immigration enforcement operations.

There was no legislative resolution Thursday after both chambers met for just a few minutes in pro forma sessions. agencies

Nonetheless, the Republican leadership and Trump had coalesced around a plan to fully fund DHS as part of a two-step process.