House Passes Short-Term Funding Bill Amid Senate Deadlock
WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted late Friday to advance a short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). However, the measure faces significant hurdles in the Senate, leading to expectations of extended legislative gridlock.
The House-approved bill passed with a narrow margin of 213-203, following House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-Louisiana) rejection of a Senate bill that would have provided funding for all DHS operations, excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Funding for DHS expired in mid-February, leaving many operations under severe strain.
Johnson dismissed the Senate’s proposal as a “joke,” attributing the deadlock entirely to Democratic lawmakers. Ironically, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved the bill unanimously earlier that same day.
“They are holding the government’s funding process hostage to impose their radical policies on the American people,” Johnson stated during comments made just before the House vote.
Simultaneously, President Donald Trump issued an order directing DHS to disburse pay to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees who have gone unpaid during the ongoing shutdown. This has resulted in elevated call volumes and longer wait times for passengers at airports across the United States. The exact amount and authorization for these funds remain unclear, but a DHS spokesperson indicated that paychecks might start arriving as early as Monday.
The proposed House bill aims to fund DHS through May 22; however, its chances of passing in the Senate remain slim. Senators have left for a two-week recess, but Democrats have consistently signaled their intent to block funding for ICE and CBP unless it comes with restrictions on immigration enforcement operations.
Johnson expressed confidence that the President supports his strategy, sharing, “I spoke to the president a few minutes ago, and he understands exactly what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, and he supports it.” However, a Republican aide confirmed that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) does not plan to reconvene the Senate due to lack of viable options for advancing the House bill.
Republican leaders in the Senate believe there is no logical path forward other than revisiting the bipartisan measure passed earlier, which excludes funding for ICE and CBP. Over the last six weeks, attempts to pass legislation similar to the recently approved House bill have repeatedly failed due to Democratic opposition.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) cautioned that the House bill would not succeed without bipartisan support and would require 60 votes to advance in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority of 53-47.
“We’ve been clear from day one: Democrats will fund critical homeland security operations, but without reform we will not hand a blank check to President Trump’s lawless and dangerous immigration militia,” Schumer added, asserting that the House’s short-term bill would ultimately fail in the Senate.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) echoed Schumer’s sentiment, emphasizing that Democrats are ready to support the Senate’s bipartisan proposal. “If that bill were brought to the floor today, it would pass. Trump and the Republicans’ DHS shutdown would end. Unfortunately, the MAGA extremists in the House of Representatives continue to inflict pain on the American people,” he noted.
Speaker Johnson introduced the short-term funding proposal in response to dissent within his party, as conservative members expressed their dissatisfaction with the Senate bill. Some, like Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), labeled it “irresponsible” and insisted on the inclusion of voter ID measures and additional ICE funding.
Conversely, Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) stated that Democrats could not support a bill funding ICE without appropriate restrictions, following incidents involving immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota. “We’ve made this very clear, and the American people are demanding some kind of guardrails against a government agency that has terrorized communities and caused fatalities,” she asserted.
