In brief
The stalemate over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is likely to prolong into next week, with the House considering a previously rejected bipartisan Senate plan. With Republican leaders aligning under President Trump's proposed strategy, the goal is to address limited funding for the agency while seeking future comprehensive funding for immigration and border enforcement. Tensions within the GOP remain as some members resist plans that do not fully support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol operations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The impasse over the Department of Homeland Security funding is likely to continue into next week as the House weighs a Senate plan it previously dismissed, primarily funding the agency while excluding immigration enforcement operations.
The standoff, now entering its 48th day, saw no resolution on Thursday, with both chambers of Congress briefly convening for pro forma sessions. Despite this, Republican leaders, alongside President Donald Trump, have united behind a strategy that would allow for a two-phase process aimed at fully funding DHS.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated that while the House's 60-day funding proposal was set aside during the session, he remains optimistic about the passage of the bipartisan Senate plan worked out with Democrats.
“I don’t know the particulars around what the House will do with it,” Thune remarked, adding a hopeful outlook toward eventual movement on the proposal.
House Republicans are scheduled to discuss their next steps in a conference call later today, with Speaker Mike Johnson and Thune drawing attention back to the Senate measure. This measure funds most of DHS but does not allocate resources for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol, which Republicans plan to tackle separately in future partisan spending legislation expected to extend over months.
Despite Trump’s support, neither the upcoming plan nor the previous measures guarantee unanimous backing within the Republican ranks, leaving room for potential opposition. Thune mentioned ongoing conversations among party leadership, responding to concerns over possible fractures within the GOP regarding DHS funding.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Republican pace of negotiations, highlighting that their divisions have led to prolonged deliberations that detrimentally affect American families.
There is a palpable divide among the party's most conservative members, who demand full funding for Trump’s immigration agenda. Representative Scott Perry decried any plans that do not meet all funding demands for border law enforcement.
Looking ahead, Trump aims to ensure ICE and Border Patrol funding through a proposed budget package by June 1, seeking to shield these agencies from Democratic objections throughout the remainder of his term.
The ongoing shutdown has not fully halted DHS operations, with most employees reporting to work despite delays in pay impacting thousands. Frustrations among air travelers have been noted as Transportation Security Administration agents faced calls to work without compensation; however, the situation appears to stabilize as some agents received back pay following an executive order signed by Trump.
