With lawmakers away from Washington and a key federal agency running on empty, President Donald Trump is weighing an unusual step to force action on Capitol Hill.
According to the New York Post, the president, who spoke exclusively to the outlet, said he is considering calling Congress back for a special session to address the ongoing funding lapse affecting the Department of Homeland Security, which has stretched into weeks without a resolution.
“It’s something that’s under consideration,” Trump told The Post.
Congress is currently in recess until April 14 — a timeline that would leave DHS employees without pay for nearly two months if no deal is reached.
Still, Trump suggested he may hold off on making a decision until after Easter.
“Maybe we’ll let them have Easter,” he quipped.
If invoked, the move would mark the first time since Harry Truman in 1948 that a president has forced lawmakers back into session. Truman used the power to push debate on major domestic issues, including health care, civil rights, and Social Security.
The funding gap has already created ripple effects. Earlier this week, Trump signed an executive order restoring pay for workers at the Transportation Security Administration, though questions remain about how long that fix can last.
The disruption has contributed to long lines at airport security checkpoints nationwide, with travelers reporting waits stretching for hours.
At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt placed the blame squarely on congressional Democrats.
“Nothing will be truly normal again until Democrats do the right thing to fund this agency fully,” she said during a Monday briefing.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees a wide range of critical operations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The standoff began when Senate Democrats pushed for changes to Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, particularly his plans for mass deportations. Republicans have resisted partial funding measures that would leave those policies unresolved.
Historically, presidents have exercised their authority to call special sessions just 27 times — a rare tool now back on the table as the impasse drags on.
