Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday secured House passage of a budget blueprint for a second reconciliation bill aimed at funding immigration enforcement, quashing a rebellion among Republicans over the handling of the farm bill and E15 ethanol fuel provisions.
The 215-211-1 party-line vote, with Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) voting present, represents progress toward addressing the Department of Homeland Security shutdown that has stretched to a record 10 weeks. The reconciliation measure is part of a two-step approach to reopen DHS, as the White House and Senate have ramped up pressure on the House to also adopt a bipartisan Senate bill funding the rest of the department.
The vote came only after hours of negotiations and multiple procedural delays. Leaders held voting open for five hours as they worked to convince more than a dozen Republican holdouts who were furious about leadership's handling of farm bill legislation and provisions related to year-round E15 ethanol sales.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative Republicans remained divided over strategy even after the final vote. Hard-line members of the House Freedom Caucus had initially resisted keeping the reconciliation package "skinny," arguing instead for a single comprehensive bill that would fully fund DHS while including defense spending increases and healthcare reforms.
The immediate dispute centered on provisions linking E15 ethanol fuel sales to the farm bill reauthorization. Farm-state Republicans have long pushed for year-round E15 sales, while lawmakers from fossil-fuel-producing states opposed the measure. After heated negotiations—including reports of raised voices audible outside the room—leaders agreed to decouple the two bills and provide a separate up-or-down vote on the E15 legislation.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) was among those visibly frustrated during floor proceedings, reportedly shouting at Johnson before ultimately casting a "yes" vote. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) sought amendments affecting her state be considered under any rule governing these measures. House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told reporters the party had discussed a potential third reconciliation bill to address conservative priorities, an effort leaders hope will maintain party unity going forward.
What the Left Is Saying
House Democrats largely aligned with the White House position, supporting passage of the budget resolution while emphasizing the urgency of reopening DHS. The department has been unable to pay employees fully as funding sources dry up, with Secretary Markwayne Mullin warning that money for workers is set to run out by the first week of May.
Progressive members have argued that a piecemeal approach to DHS funding—relying on reconciliation for immigration enforcement while awaiting action on a broader bipartisan bill—is preferable to a single large package. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) championed keeping the second reconciliation bill "skinny," a position some House Democrats found more workable than conservative demands for a comprehensive DHS funding bill in one measure.
Democratic leaders have maintained that passing any legislation to keep DHS operational takes priority over partisan policy disputes, noting that the department's core mission of national security affects all Americans regardless of political affiliation.
What the Numbers Show
The final vote count was 215 Republicans and Democrats supporting the resolution against 211 opponents, with one independent voting present. Johnson's margin leaves little room for defection on subsequent legislation—he can only afford to lose two GOP members assuming full attendance and unified Democratic opposition.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) voted against the first reconciliation bill, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, last year. Their opposition signals potential challenges ahead for any final package.
DHS has now operated without full funding for 10 consecutive weeks—the longest shutdown affecting a major federal agency in recent history. The department faces imminent payroll constraints, with Mullin projecting employee funds will deplete by early May. President Trump has set a June 1 deadline for the legislation to reach his desk.
The separate Senate-passed bipartisan DHS funding bill remains stalled in the House, having sat unacted upon for weeks as Republicans prioritized securing reconciliation-based immigration enforcement funding first.
The Bottom Line
Passage of the budget blueprint advances Congress's effort to address the DHS shutdown but leaves several critical questions unresolved. Johnson must now assemble a coalition willing to support actual legislation implementing this blueprint—a task complicated by conservative demands, thin GOP margins, and Democratic opposition.
The White House has made clear it wants movement on both the reconciliation package and the Senate's bipartisan DHS funding bill. Johnson told CNN he was "not defying the White House" after expressing concerns about some language in the Senate measure, suggesting ongoing negotiations between the House speaker, Senate leaders, and the administration.
Timing pressures are acute. With DHS employee payments at risk within days, lawmakers face a hard deadline that does not align neatly with normal legislative processes. Arrington estimated the full reconciliation process would take "a few weeks," though that timeline may compress if funding constraints force faster action. Watch for whether House leadership can maintain Republican unity as detailed negotiations on the actual reconciliation bill begin.