President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will soon sign an executive order to ensure all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are paid during the ongoing government shutdown. The move marks the president’s second attempt in a week to circumvent Congress and address the financial strain on federal workers.

"I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security," Trump stated in a post on Truth Social. "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."

The announcement follows a proposal by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to end the shutdown, which has become the longest in DHS history. However, partisan gridlock has stalled progress, prompting the president to take unilateral action.

Trump’s executive order could face legal challenges under the Antideficiency Act, a 150-year-old law that prohibits federal spending without congressional approval. The administration’s efforts to keep parts of the government operational without appropriations may test the boundaries of executive power.

The Senate earlier Thursday returned a DHS funding bill to the House, which excluded provisions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Speaker Johnson, who previously criticized the legislation as a "joke," has yet to commit to recalling lawmakers from recess to vote on the measure.

The shutdown continues to impact tens of thousands of federal employees, including those at DHS, who have worked without pay for weeks. The president’s executive order, if enacted, would provide immediate relief to these workers, though its long-term implications remain uncertain.