Senate takes first step toward ending DHS shutdown after House GOP reverses course

Washington — The Senate early Thursday took the first step toward funding the bulk of the Department of Homeland Security after House GOP leaders reversed course and agreed on a plan to reopen most of the government while pursuing additional funding at a later date. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune took to the Senate floor Thursday morning to move to send the House a measure that Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to last week, which would fund all of DHS except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and portions of Customs and Border Protection. 

Democrats have opposed funding DHS’ immigration enforcement operation since two deadly shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. And after negotiations stalled over reforms to ICE last week, the Senate moved forward with a plan to fund the vast majority of the department. 

But the plan was quickly thwarted by the House. Amid opposition from conservatives, Speaker Mike Johnson opted to ditch the Senate plan and instead put forward a temporary measure to fund all of DHS. The House left town for recess, just a day after the Senate, with no bicameral path to fund the department.  

Then on Wednesday, President Trump demanded that lawmakers fund ICE and Border Patrol through the reconciliation process, which allows Republicans to move forward with a bill without support from Senate Democrats. Hours later, Thune and Johnson said they would pursue funding for the immigration enforcement agencies for three years through the reconciliation process, while working to approve the other funding in the coming days. 

The strategy mirrored what the Senate’s plan to fund the department last week. 

The timing of the House’s next move remains unclear. Both the House and Senate are away on recess until the week of April 13. Thune moved the measure forward in a pro forma session Thursday, and the House is set to meet later in the morning for its own pro forma session. But House GOP leaders may wait to hold a vote until the full chamber returns. 

After the bulk of DHS is funded, Republicans will turn their attention to reconciliation, with a deadline to get the bill on the president’s desk by June 1.