Senate Republicans are ramping up pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to swiftly approve a Senate-passed bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that tens of thousands of federal workers could miss paychecks if the House delays much longer.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday that Senate passage of a budget resolution early Thursday morning shows the votes exist to pass a budget reconciliation package next month to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. He believes that should give the House the green light to approve the Senate-passed bill to fund the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Johnson, under pressure from Republicans in the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus and beyond, has said he will not move the bipartisan DHS bill until after passage of the reconciliation package.

The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for more than two months, but President Trump earlier this month ordered that essential workers be paid. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin warned Tuesday that the department has access to enough money to pay workers for only one more pay period.

What the Left Is Saying

Senate Democrats have not been central players in this funding debate, which has played out primarily among Republicans. However, during Wednesday night's budget debate, Democratic amendments directing the budget reconciliation package to lower out-of-pocket health care costs, reverse cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and to reduce prescription drug prices needed 60 votes to succeed and consistently fell well short of that threshold.

Democrats have sought to use the budget reconciliation process to address healthcare and nutrition programs, but Republican unity has blocked their efforts. The minority party has limited tools to shape the reconciliation package given Senate rules requiring only a simple majority for budget-related amendments.

What the Right Is Saying

GOP senators fear that Johnson's plan to wait for reconciliation leaves a good chance that Mullin could run out of money to pay TSA agents and other critical federal workers. Thune said the Senate has now produced the budget resolution that House Republicans requested, and he expects the House to act.

That certainly the hope and expectation, Thune said when asked about the prospect of the House moving quickly on the Senate-passed Homeland Security funding bill. I think having produced the budget resolution should serve as a signal to anybody over in the House thats concerned about that, that were going to be following through with ensuring that the ICE and Border Patrol money for the future is available.

One Republican senator who requested anonymity to express frustration within the Senate GOP said Johnson doesnt have full control of the House GOP conference. I dont think Johnson has the votes, the lawmaker said, asserting that the Speaker has shifted his criteria for acting on the partial Homeland Security funding bill.

House conservatives want to expand the scope of the reconciliation package. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said the Senate proposal to just fund ICE and Border Patrol for three and a half years under budget reconciliation is not ambitious enough. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said: We ought to be doing more.

Thune is leaning on House GOP leaders to pass the same narrowly focused budget resolution that passed the Senate, warning that making changes would prolong the process and potentially trigger a messy Senate debate over tax cuts enacted last year in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

What the Numbers Show

The Senate voted Thursday to instruct the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security Committee to begin drafting a bill that would spend between $70 billion and $80 billion over three and a half years on ICE and Border Patrol.

Each committee received an instruction to produce legislation not costing more than $70 billion, with the ability to produce combined legislation spending as much as $140 billion. However, they are expected to come well below that number.

DHS has been shut down for more than two months. Mullin has said the department has enough money to pay workers for only one more payroll period, after which there will be no more emergency funds available.

The Bottom Line

The pressure on Johnson is intensifying as the clock runs down on DHS funding. Senate Republicans have delivered what they say is the green light for House action by passing a budget resolution that unlocks the reconciliation process. Meanwhile, House conservatives are pushing for a more ambitious package that goes beyond just funding ICE and Border Patrol. The Speaker must navigate between senators demanding quick action and hardliners wanting more comprehensive legislation. If the House changes the budget resolution, the Senate would have to hold another series of votes to pass a new budget before moving forward on reconciliation, potentially delaying funding even further.