WASHINGTON (RTW) — The funding deadlock for the Department of Homeland Security is likely to extend into next week, as the House considers a previously rejected Senate proposal to fund the agency, albeit without its immigration enforcement operations.
The impasse, now in its 48th day, remained unresolved after both the House and Senate convened briefly in pro forma sessions on Thursday. Nevertheless, Republican leaders and President Trump have backed a two-step approach to fully fund DHS. This represents a re-alignment among congressional leaders after their separate strategies culminated in Congress departing for spring recess without a resolution.
During these brief sessions, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., dropped the House's plan to extend funding for 60 days and did not advance the bipartisan Senate measure negotiated with Democrats. However, Thune expressed optimism for its eventual passage.
I don't know the particulars around what the House will do with it, Thune said, adding, My assumption is, at some point, hopefully, they'll move it.
House Republicans are expected to engage in a conference call later today to strategize their next steps. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., alongside Thune, confirmed they will reconsider the Senate measure, which funds most of DHS, excluding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. Republicans plan to fund those agencies separately through partisan legislation that may take months to finalize.
Despite this progress, the outcome is uncertain as the strategy may still face opposition from within the GOP, even with Trump’s endorsement. Thune indicated a series of discussions led to this common ground after weeks of apparent disagreement.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer blamed Republicans for their lack of urgency in addressing the issue. He stated, Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction.
Conservative lawmakers, however, are likely to push for full funding of all Trump’s immigration enforcement operations. Representative Scott Perry, R-Pa., expressed resistance to the idea of underfunding enforcement agencies, labeling such action as an abandonment of law enforcement.
The budget package aimed at securing funding for ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump’s term is anticipated to be ready by June 1, which Trump hopes will shield these agencies from future funding disputes, particularly in light of the Democrats’ objections to his immigration agenda.
Thune recognized the potential challenges in advancing this funding route, noting the necessity to keep the proposal narrow to expedite passage. He stated, We need to kind of move with haste to avoid entanglement with other contentious issues.
While a significant number of DHS employees have continued to work during the shutdown, many are going unpaid, leading to frustration, especially as Transportation Security Administration agents begin to call out sick due to the ongoing financial strain. The situation at airports had seen improvement, with bottlenecks easing as TSA agents received back pay following an executive order signed by Trump.
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Report contributed by RTW Congressional Correspondent.
