House Passes Temporary Funding Bill Amid Ongoing Shutdown

Late Friday, the House approved a temporary funding measure that will support the Department of Homeland Security. However, the 43-day shutdown could extend for several more weeks.

The two-month funding extension passed by the House may face challenges once it reaches the Senate. There, any funding proposal will require a 60-vote threshold, which naturally depends on some Democratic support. House Republican leaders, though, seem set on rejecting the Senate’s deal and instead proposing their own plan for funding the Department of Homeland Security.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was clear about his stance. He told reporters outside the Capitol on Friday night, “We’re not going to tear apart two of the most important institutions of government and leave them alone. We couldn’t do that.”

On “The Ingraham Angle” earlier that day, Johnson criticized the Senate-passed deal, claiming it didn’t properly fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Impact on TSA and Law Enforcement

The Transportation Security Administration has been particularly impacted, with reactions felt in cities like Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Reports indicated that about 450 police officers have resigned nationwide.

Despite attempts by House Republicans to persuade the Senate to consider the bill, their efforts may not be welcomed. A Republican aide noted, “The easiest way to end this shutdown is for the House to pass the bill that the Senate passed.”

Democrats have consistently blocked short-term funding efforts in the Senate, and after passing the DHS funding measure, senators left Washington for a two-week recess.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain expressed frustration, stating, “That’s pretty sad” while insisting that the Senate should come back to vote while people are not being paid.

House members are also set to adjourn for the next two weeks, leaving behind thousands of Homeland Security employees working without pay during the shutdown.

To address the situation, President Donald Trump took executive action on Friday to direct the DHS to pay TSA workers using existing funds, aiming to alleviate their financial distress. Approximately 50,000 agents have missed two full paychecks due to ongoing funding issues, prompting some to quit their jobs.

This move could potentially reduce long waits at TSA security checkpoints, though officials have cautioned about the lasting effects of losing over 500 employees during the funding lapse.

Other employees in the DHS, including those in FEMA and Cybersecurity, will continue to have their paychecks withheld until funding is restored. McClain emphasized, “Everyone who goes to work is entitled to a paycheck, and the Senate needs to come back and at least do its job.”

As the impasse continues, Democrats are likely to blame Republicans for the standoff, especially following Johnson’s refusal of the Senate deal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries remarked, “The Republican Party has made the decision to firmly own this government shutdown. There’s no question about it.”

The temporary DHS funding plan passed by the House does not include any partisan policy riders. Notably, it lacks the immigration reforms that Democrats have been requesting for weeks.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed skepticism about the likelihood of bipartisan cooperation moving forward, indicating that clearing up funding might be increasingly difficult.

In Middle of all this, the situation remains fluid and it seems uncertainty will linger as discussions continue.