Two dozen House members could miss a major national security gathering in Munich this weekend, thanks to the Senate’s struggles to strike a deal that would avert a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
With DHS funding past Friday in doubt, Speaker Mike Johnson told members this week they will not be allowed to travel with official funding during the upcoming recess. That includes military flights, which are frequently arranged for congressional delegations overseas.
House members could arrange commercial flights, but it’s unclear whether they could seek House reimbursement for them.
Among the trips in doubt is the Munich Security Conference, which some members were hoping to depart for Thursday, according to four people granted anonymity to describe private discussions. The Senate is not affected by Johnson’s prohibition and multiple senators have indicated they plan to attend the conference regardless of whether DHS is funded or not.
