House Republicans on Friday rejected a Senate-passed measure aimed at restoring most funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), deepening a partisan standoff over the agency’s operations. House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the proposal as a “joke” and signaled that the House would instead push for legislation to fully fund the department for 60 days “as soon as possible.”
The Senate bill, passed before lawmakers left Washington for a two-week recess, withheld money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deportation operations in response to Democratic demands. Johnson criticized the measure, saying he doubted that every Senate Republican had read the bill’s language and rejecting it outright. The House speaker also indicated that President Donald Trump was aware of the House’s approach and supportive of the plan.
The impasse over ICE funding has already contributed to a partial shutdown within DHS that has affected airport security and left federal workers unpaid for more than a month. While TSA agents are receiving emergency pay through an executive order signed by Trump, other components of DHS—including the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol—remain without funding. The executive order was intended to ease travel delays at airports, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune cautioned that it is only a short-term solution.
Several House Republicans voiced frustration with the Senate-backed bill. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee accused Senate Republicans of yielding to Democratic pressure and prioritizing their upcoming recess over meaningful legislation. He suggested that the move could be an attempt to expedite their vacation rather than resolve funding issues.
Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina described the Senate proposal as “irresponsible,” arguing that any reasonable DHS funding measure must include voter identification provisions and support for ICE operations. The criticism highlights an ongoing intraparty divide between House and Senate Republicans over how to handle homeland security funding.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have signaled they will oppose any legislation that fully funds ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York stated that such a bill would be “dead on arrival” and framed the debate as a matter of reforming what he characterized as Trump-era immigration policies. Schumer emphasized that Democrats support funding essential homeland security functions but will not provide unrestricted funding to ICE without changes.
The standoff represents a test for Thune, who must balance competing pressures from House Republicans demanding full DHS funding, Senate Republicans seeking to advance the SAVE America Act with voter ID requirements, and Democratic opposition to ICE funding. The legislative impasse leaves the department in a precarious position, with partial operations continuing while key personnel go unpaid.
In the meantime, Trump sought to alleviate the immediate effects on airport security by authorizing emergency payments for TSA agents through an executive order. On Truth Social, he described the situation as a national crisis caused by Democrats and vowed to use his authority to protect the country, instructing the DHS secretary to take swift action. While this order provides temporary relief for travelers, other federal workers at DHS agencies remain without pay, underscoring the broader consequences of the funding stalemate.
The coming weeks are expected to test the limits of legislative compromise as Congress remains divided over how to fund DHS. With the House pushing for full funding and the Senate constrained by Democratic opposition, both parties face pressure to resolve the standoff before its effects escalate further on national security and federal operations.
