The Republican-controlled House voted Wednesday to renew a powerful foreign surveillance program and passed a Senate-approved measure that would jump-start the process to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol for the rest of President Donald Trump's term. The House voted 235-191 to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires Thursday.
Lawmakers later voted 215-211 along party lines to pass a GOP budget resolution previously approved by the Senate after a revolt by conservative hard-liners over an unrelated farm bill delayed final passage by more than five hours. The successful budget vote could unlock the support needed to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for a record 74 days because of Democratic demands for reforms to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics.
Wednesday was one of the more tumultuous days in the House in recent memory. Earlier, a handful of conservative Republicans blocked a key procedural vote, preventing several of Trump's legislative priorities from coming to the floor. The difficulty highlighted the challenges of the GOP's narrow 217-212 majority as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
In that vote series, Speaker Mike Johnson and his team could be seen on the floor desperately trying to persuade holdouts including Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, and Harriet Hageman of Wyoming to flip their no votes to yes. After two hours of arm-twisting and cajoling in public view, Johnson's efforts proved successful, and the House passed the rule 216-210.
What the Right Is Saying
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said the House-passed FISA bill isn't going anywhere in his chamber and that he is working on a 45-day extension instead. He cited concerns among some Senate Republicans about civil liberties protections in the longer measure passed by the House.
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado called the farm bill "fake" and vowed it would not pass in its current form, though she said she would vote yes and work to change it during House-Senate negotiations. Final passage of the farm bill could happen Thursday as Republicans try to resolve a dispute over year-round sales of E15, a biofuels blend.
Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, chair of the Agriculture Committee, expressed confidence that the farm bill would pass Thursday. The measure sets agriculture policy for the next five years.
"These are some of the most complicated public policy matters that Congress deals with, and they're all sandwiched together because of deadlines that are upon us," Johnson said as he came off the floor after the rule vote.
What the Left Is Saying
Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts described the day's events bluntly when asked for a one-word summary: "Shitshow." Democrats have demanded policy changes before agreeing to fund DHS, including mandating body cameras for immigration agents and limiting raids in sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals.
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, urged colleagues not to let the surveillance program expire. He said the House's three-year extension included modest reforms that would provide critical checks on government authority.
"If we saw the slightest hint that these authorities were being abused, I wouldn't be standing here today to support this bill," Himes said in a floor speech. "Section 702 is not a dragnet. It is not an authority that can be used to surveil Americans."
Using the fast-track budget reconciliation process, Republicans would be able to bypass a Democratic filibuster and pass DHS funding legislation through the Senate with just 51 votes, without agreeing to the policy changes demanded by Democrats.
What the Numbers Show
The House passed the FISA renewal 235-191. The GOP budget resolution passed 215-211 along party lines. The procedural rule vote ultimately passed 216-210 after two hours of negotiations.
DHS has been shut down for 74 days, a record for a federal agency. The budget measure instructs congressional committees to draft legislation and authorizes $70 billion to pay for ICE and the Border Patrol for roughly three years.
The GOP holds a narrow 217-212 majority in the House, making any defections difficult to overcome on close votes. The spy program expires Thursday if not renewed.
The Bottom Line
The FISA reauthorization now moves to the Senate, where Thune is pursuing a shorter 45-day extension rather than the three-year renewal the House approved. That difference will need to be resolved before the program's Thursday expiration deadline.
The DHS shutdown appears closer to ending after Wednesday's budget vote. Using reconciliation would allow Republicans to fund ICE and Border Patrol without Democratic support, bypassing the Senate filibuster. However, the House is leaving soon on a weeklong recess, meaning no final resolution is expected until lawmakers return.
Before leaving Washington, Johnson could bring a separate Senate-passed bill to the floor that would fund DHS agencies other than ICE and the Border Patrol, including FEMA, the Coast Guard and TSA.