Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced Friday the House will vote on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security on a short-term basis for 60 days, rejecting the Senate-passed measure that funds all of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
Johnson called the Senate bill "a joke" and placed full blame on Democrats, even though Republicans control the Senate and the bill passed by unanimous consent. He said a House vote would take place "as soon as possible" after it clears the Rules Committee.
The Senate left Washington for a two-week recess, making it highly unlikely any House measure could become law before the Senate returns. The dispute threatens to prolong a partial government shutdown that has affected TSA operations at airports nationwide.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that a House bill funding ICE and CBP without immigration enforcement guardrails would fail in the Senate, which requires 60 votes to advance spending measures.
"We've been clear from day one: Democrats will fund critical homeland security functions — but we will not give a blank check to Trump's lawless and deadly immigration militia without reforms," Schumer said. "A 60-day CR that locks in the status quo is dead on arrival in the Senate, and Republicans know it."
Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., said Democrats would not support funding ICE without constraints on the agency after immigration enforcement agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis.
"I think we made it very clear, and the American public is demanding some sort of guardrails on an agency that has basically terrorized communities across this country, resulted in the death of two American citizens," Lee said. "We have shone a light on just how rogue ICE was acting."
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., a moderate Democrat, said Americans are "sick" of the political stalemate. "They're sick of politics. They don't want this finger pointing. They don't want this game-playing, this blame game," he said. "They want us to do the job, to find agreement and get the job done."
What the Right Is Saying
Johnson defended his proposal, telling reporters: "They have taken hostage the funding processes of government so that they can impose their radical agenda on the American people." He said he spoke with President Trump, who "understands exactly what we're doing and why, and he supports it."
A bloc of House conservatives expressed outrage over the Senate bill. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said senators "caved" by agreeing to leave out money for ICE and CBP.
"I mean, they got a vacation coming, they're ready to get the heck out of town. They're not handling any legislation," Burchett said. "If this is just some trickery to get them home for a dadgum vacation, then, no, I'd say let's stay here and work."
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, was among several right-wing hard-liners demanding the Senate-passed bill be amended to add funding for ICE and voter ID provisions. "The Senate acted cowardly last night," Self said. "They passed this bill with five members on the floor through UC and then they scurried like rats off."
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said the Senate-passed bill is "irresponsible" and that voter identification provisions and ICE funding must be included. "Those two things will have to be in," Norman said.
What the Numbers Show
The Senate bill passed by unanimous consent with only five senators present on the floor. It funds all of DHS except ICE and CBP, which handle immigration enforcement operations.
The House-proposed 60-day continuing resolution would fund all DHS functions, including ICE and CBP, without the immigration enforcement restrictions Democrats have demanded.
TSA employees have not been paid during the partial DHS shutdown, leading to high callout rates that have created long lines for passengers at U.S. airports. President Trump signed an order directing DHS to pay TSA workers, though legal experts question whether the administration has authority to do so without Congressional approval.
In the Senate, 60 votes are required to advance spending bills, meaning any House measure would need Democratic support to become law.
The Bottom Line
The House Republican proposal faces steep obstacles. With the Senate on recess for two weeks and Democrats vowing to block any funding for ICE and CBP without enforcement guardrails, the path to ending the partial DHS shutdown remains unclear.
Johnson's 60-day CR would fund the entire department, including immigration enforcement, which Democrats have said they will not support. Meanwhile, the Senate bill funds most of DHS but excludes ICE and CBP funding, which House conservatives have rejected.
The dispute highlights the partisan divide over immigration enforcement. Democrats demand constraints on ICE operations following the deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis, while Republicans argue that border security and immigration enforcement must be fully funded.
Trump has not publicly endorsed either the Senate bill or Johnson's proposed 60-day measure. The administration has indicated support for the House approach, but whether that translates to political pressure on Senate Republicans to return from recess remains to be seen.