A partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appears imminent unless the Senate votes on a short-term funding extension by Thursday.
However, avoiding a DHS shutdown requires a similar bill to pass in the House. The success of this depends on Speaker Mike Johnson’s ability (R-Louisiana) to navigate a House Republican conference that has differing views on how to proceed.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the Conservative House Freedom Caucus, suggested that a funding extension should be about 60 to 90 days, stating, “You don’t know what’s going to happen in 30 days.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is poised to propose a continuing resolution (CR) to extend DHS’s current budget for an undecided duration.
The backdrop to this funding struggle is the Democrats withdrawing from a bipartisan agreement intended to finance DHS through the end of the fiscal year 2026. They cite a lack of necessary safeguards for the agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
While Congress currently funds 97% of the federal government, DHS encompasses a wide range of operations, including the Coast Guard, Secret Service, FEMA, and TSA. A shutdown would disrupt services across these agencies.
Republicans are keen to avoid such a scenario but seem to believe that any fallout would primarily reflect poorly on Democrats.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) expressed support for a year-round CR for DHS to ensure proper funding for FEMA and TSA and avert ongoing chaos.
Along similar lines, Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) remarked, “I want to push this as far as possible to avoid constant uncertainty for government agencies.”
Meanwhile, some Republicans oppose the short-term CR idea. Rep. John Rutherford (R-Florida) criticized CRs for not being effective, warning that they can disrupt supply chains and purchasing processes. He added that a shutdown or CR could adversely impact national security operations, especially with significant events like the FIFA World Cup on the horizon.
On Tuesday, Johnson did not disclose his thoughts on the CR’s duration but reiterated that the Senate should consider the bill that Democrats initially rejected. “I’m very hopeful. There’s still time. If there’s a will, there’s a way,” he stated.
House Republican leaders will likely require support from nearly all members to pass a DHS CR. Meanwhile, many Democrats have indicated they won’t back DHS funding without assurance of major reforms. During a recent press conference, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that a simple stopgap bill without changes to ICE funding is unacceptable, asserting that “ICE is out of control right now.” He emphasized that dramatic changes are necessary before any funding bill progresses.
