Although the House failed to vote on the Senate bill, President Trump said he would sign an order to pay “all” DHS employees.
Despite the Senate passing a bill to provide funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. is expected to remain in a partial government shutdown for an extended period of time.
The House did not consider the funding bill passed by the Senate on Thursday, meaning the partial shutdown that began on February 14 will last until at least Monday, when the House reconvenes.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The stalemate centers on whether DHS should reform its immigration procedures following criticism of President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations.
Democrats refuse to give money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without reforming their practices. Republicans, meanwhile, say Democrats’ demands are misplaced.
This impasse had several ramifications. For example, DHS oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), whose airport security personnel have been without pay for the past six weeks.
There have been reports of long lines and widespread travel delays at U.S. airports, as employees call for people to get sick or quit their jobs altogether.
The bill, passed by the Senate last Wednesday, would provide funding to TSA and other parts of DHS, but not to ICE or CBP, which already received a big windfall from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
But while Senate Republicans supported the bill last week, House Republican leaders refused to bring it to a vote.
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused House Republicans of being in disarray.
“House Republicans are running the longest government shutdown in history,” he wrote. “Deep divisions and dysfunction among House Republicans are unnecessarily extending the DHS shutdown and hurting federal workers who are losing additional pay.”
The decision not to vote on the Senate bill came despite House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune jointly announcing Wednesday a plan to fully fund DHS.
They proposed a two-step approach, with the first step being to pass a bill that would fund the department, excluding ICE and CBP. The second step involves funding ICE and CBP through separate spending legislation.
President Trump vows to pay ‘all’ DHS employees
President Trump supported the plan, writing on Truth Social on Thursday that “Republicans are united and moving forward with a plan to refund our incredible Border Patrol and immigration workers.”
He accused Democrats of pursuing “radical leftist policies” by opposing funding for ICE and CBP.
President Trump last week signed an executive order that sends ICE agents to airports and pays TSA agents, bypassing Congress.
The money will come from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump administration’s sweeping tax and spending law enacted last year, but the White House has not said which funds will be diverted to pay workers.
On Thursday, President Trump went even further, writing on Truth Social that he would soon sign an executive order to “pay all of the top employees at the Department of Homeland Security.” Details were not disclosed.
Any kind of government shutdown remains politically unpopular in the United States. Labor unions and transport safety groups have criticized recent funding shortfalls, saying they are putting a strain on workers and airport security.
But Democrats are seeking to use the funding bill as a way to force changes to President Trump’s immigration policies, especially in the wake of the January killings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota.
They called on DHS to ensure that all immigration agents are clearly identified and to end racial profiling at immigration checkpoints. Other demands include safety measures such as consistent use of body cameras for agents.
Opinion polls show that disapproval of President Trump’s immigration raids soared in the wake of the January murders of Renee Good and Alex Preti. Analysts believe the backlash could have an impact on November’s midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to hold Democrats responsible for the government shutdown, accusing them of putting Americans’ lives at risk for political gain.
