Senate Republicans Push for DHS Funding Plan Amid House Discontent
Senate Republicans are advancing a two-part strategy to resolve the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding shutdown, though House Republicans have expressed their disagreement with this approach.
There’s a growing concern among some House Republicans about the forthcoming Republican-only funding proposal, which seems to focus solely on immigration enforcement. They feel it doesn’t adequately address broader policy objectives as the midterm elections approach. “I think this is the last chance for reconciliation,” stated Rep. Pat Harrigan from North Carolina in an interview. “While some are discussing two phases, I advocate for one.”
Harrigan also mentioned a preference for expanding the proposal to include defense funding and cost-of-living concerns, emphasizing that there’s important work that needs to be done.
Rep. Clay Higgins from Louisiana, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, noted they haven’t formed a consensus yet about the Senate’s proposal, calling it “problematic” and asserting that it should be broadened.
The Senate recently passed a budget resolution mainly along party lines that will fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the rest of President Trump’s term. This partisan approach is driven by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s refusal to fund the department without essential reforms.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is racing against time to secure a budget resolution from the Senate, hoping to act by next week, and there’s limited room for losing votes. Trump has set a deadline of June 1 to fully fund immigration efforts through a unified Republican bill.
Prior to the DHS shutdown, House Republican leaders hinted at a budget reconciliation effort associated with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would include not just immigration funding but defense increases, fraud target cuts, and measures aimed at reducing the cost of living. However, many Republicans are worried that these important provisions might not be included moving forward.
Furthermore, House conservatives are staunchly opposed to the Senate’s bipartisan DHS plan that omits ICE and Border Patrol from the usual funding process, leaving them unfunded. After several failed attempts to advance the DHS funding bill, the Senate managed to pass a Democratic-supported measure, which the House has yet to review.
The Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Andy Harris from Maryland, criticized the Senate’s bill, calling it unacceptable and stating that he won’t support any legislation that zeros out immigration enforcement funding. Rep. Higgins also voiced his displeasure, remarking that he finds it untenable to require a reconciliation bill to secure funding for ICE and CBP.
Moving forward, Senate Republicans aim to streamline the package, concerned that adding too many elements might delay proceedings. Senator Lindsey Graham, leading the Senate Budget Committee, is focusing on expediting future budget proposals by involving only two committees: Judiciary and Homeland Security.
Despite the progress being made, some Senate Republicans feel compelled to expand their policies, fearing future opportunities might be limited, especially with midterm elections on the horizon. Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana suggested that while there might be talk of a third reconciliation effort later, he believes this is likely the final opportunity available.
It’s uncertain if the House will make amendments to the Senate’s budget resolution for immigration enforcement, as any changes would need to return to the Senate, necessitating more lengthy voting processes before Congress can finalize anything.
In the backdrop of these discussions, DHS has warned that it may run out of funds to continue employee payroll through May. In response, President Trump previously directed the department to utilize existing funds to provide backpay for federal employees impacted by the funding halt that began in mid-February.
