Van Hollen on Deal to Avoid Shutdown: I Won’t Vote for Even Short-Term DHS Funds

January 29, 2026
10:10 pm

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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) just dropped a bombshell on MSNBC's The Briefing, declaring he won't vote for even a short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of a last-minute deal to avert a government shutdown. With Congress scrambling to pass a two-week stopgap after breaking off other appropriations, Van Hollen's stance signals deep Democratic fractures on must-pass funding—especially for an agency overseeing ATF operations, border security, and firearms enforcement. This isn't just partisan posturing; it's a high-stakes game where DHS's $60+ billion budget directly fuels the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the same outfit pushing Biden-era rules on pistol braces, ghost guns, and braced pistols that have gun owners in the crosshairs. For the 2A community, Van Hollen's no vote is a rare gift from the left's internal chaos. DHS isn't some benign bureaucracy—it's the parent of the ATF, which has ramped up warrantless inspections, dealer harassment, and regulatory overreach under Mayorkas's watch, all while the border bleeds unchecked. If this funding hiccup forces a shutdown, ATF field operations could grind to a halt: fewer surprise audits on FFLs, delayed enforcement of contested rules like the pistol brace ban (currently tied up in courts), and potentially stalled NFA processing backlogs that plague suppressors and SBRs. We've seen it before—during the 2018-2019 shutdown, ATF exams dropped 40%, giving compliant dealers breathing room. Van Hollen's purity test could inadvertently kneecap the gun-grab machine, buying time for 2A lawsuits and elections to shift the tide. The implications ripple wider: this shutdown flirtation exposes how Democrats prioritize spending spats over national security, potentially starving DHS of funds needed for real threats while bloating ATF's anti-2A arsenal. Pro-gunners should cheer the gridlock—it's a de facto defunding of federal overreach. Watch for House Republicans to leverage this, attaching 2A protections to any full-year bill, like blocking ATF rule funding or mandating border priorities over domestic raids. In a year of pivotal midterms, Van Hollen's stand might just hand the gun rights movement an unexpected win, proving that even blue-state senators can accidentally become 2A allies. Stay vigilant, stock ammo, and keep the pressure on.

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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) just dropped a bombshell on MSNBC’s The Briefing, declaring he won’t vote for even a short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of a last-minute deal to avert a government shutdown. With Congress scrambling to pass a two-week stopgap after breaking off other appropriations, Van Hollen’s stance signals deep Democratic fractures on must-pass funding—especially for an agency overseeing ATF operations, border security, and firearms enforcement. This isn’t just partisan posturing; it’s a high-stakes game where DHS’s $60+ billion budget directly fuels the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the same outfit pushing Biden-era rules on pistol braces, ghost guns, and braced pistols that have gun owners in the crosshairs.

For the 2A community, Van Hollen’s no vote is a rare gift from the left’s internal chaos. DHS isn’t some benign bureaucracy—it’s the parent of the ATF, which has ramped up warrantless inspections, dealer harassment, and regulatory overreach under Mayorkas’s watch, all while the border bleeds unchecked. If this funding hiccup forces a shutdown, ATF field operations could grind to a halt: fewer surprise audits on FFLs, delayed enforcement of contested rules like the pistol brace ban (currently tied up in courts), and potentially stalled NFA processing backlogs that plague suppressors and SBRs. We’ve seen it before—during the 2018-2019 shutdown, ATF exams dropped 40%, giving compliant dealers breathing room. Van Hollen’s purity test could inadvertently kneecap the gun-grab machine, buying time for 2A lawsuits and elections to shift the tide.

The implications ripple wider: this shutdown flirtation exposes how Democrats prioritize spending spats over national security, potentially starving DHS of funds needed for real threats while bloating ATF’s anti-2A arsenal. Pro-gunners should cheer the gridlock—it’s a de facto defunding of federal overreach. Watch for House Republicans to leverage this, attaching 2A protections to any full-year bill, like blocking ATF rule funding or mandating border priorities over domestic raids. In a year of pivotal midterms, Van Hollen’s stand might just hand the gun rights movement an unexpected win, proving that even blue-state senators can accidentally become 2A allies. Stay vigilant, stock ammo, and keep the pressure on.

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