The Department of Homeland Security is now in the midst of the longest shutdown of a federal department in U.S. history, with President Donald Trump's disconnect from the legislative dynamics on Capitol Hill fueling a new round of Republican infighting.
After the Senate unanimously passed a bill early Friday to fund all of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., trashed it as a 'joke' and refused to bring it to the floor. He sought to absolve Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and blame it solely on Senate Democrats, even though the GOP controls the chamber. Trump didn't weigh in publicly on either the Senate bill or the House's doomed stopgap measure that would fund all of DHS.
What the Right Is Saying
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the Senate bill a 'joke' and refused to bring it to the floor, instead seeking to blame Senate Democrats. Some Senate Republicans have sought to distance themselves from the decision to go on a two-week recess, with Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, calling for canceling the recess and passing a bill to fund DHS without Democratic votes. Trump called on Republicans to 'terminate the filibuster and vote,' saying, 'I think the Senate is playing it too soft.'
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's spokesperson said, 'With the division and intransigence among Republicans it is clear that this is a Republican shutdown.' Democrats have used the GOP infighting to pin blame for the shutdown on Republicans, arguing that the party controls both chambers of Congress and therefore bears responsibility for the stalemate.
What the Numbers Show
The DHS shutdown is now the longest of any federal department in U.S. history. The Senate passed its bill with unanimous support, 100-0. Republicans control the Senate 53-47 and the House 219-211, with three vacancies. Trump has repeatedly called for eliminating the 60-vote filibuster threshold, which Senate Republicans have refused to do for over a year.
The Bottom Line
The lack of a viable direction from the White House has left Republicans on Capitol Hill without a clear path forward. With Trump possessing the necessary clout to call the play but choosing not to weigh in publicly, activists and influencers continue sniping at others within the party as no solution is in sight. The finger-pointing has given Democrats the upper hand in assigning blame for the shutdown, while travelers face long lines and delays at airports across the country.