Washington– House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday announced a plan to fully fund the program Department of Homeland SecurityGoing beyond the division between the two Republican leaders that led Congress to leave Washington last week without setting a date Setting a record for the partial government shutdown.
They said in a joint statement that Republicans in Congress will follow “in the coming days” a two-track approach. The first path goes back to the Senate plan to fund most of the department, except for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol. On the second path, Republicans would later try to fund those agencies through partisan spending legislation.
Neither outcome can be guaranteed, and the strategy is likely to face opposition from the ranks of the Republican Party President Donald Trump He gave his support.
“We appreciate and share the president’s determination to put an end to the Democratic DHS shutdown once and for all,” said Johnson, R-Los Angeles, and Thune, R-Fla.
The plan represents a revamp of what senators had in mind when they approved the bipartisan funding agreement through unanimous consent last Friday. The Senate could approve the same legislation again Thursday morning, but even if that happens, it is unclear how quickly the bill could pass the House. Republicans will likely take several months to work on the second part of Trump’s plan and pass budget legislation to fund Immigration, Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
House Republicans refused to approve the Senate last week, instead changing the bill to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security for 60 days.
As a result, the shutdown continued while lawmakers departed for their home states and congressional districts for a two-week recess. The DHS shutdown reached its 47th day on Wednesday.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer credited Democratic unity for the new GOP strategy, saying: “For days, Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction.”
The announcement by GOP leaders showed that Thune and Johnson are on the same page right now. Their working relationship was torn apart late last week when Johnson announced – At the request of several House Republicans – Thon’s plan was rejected.
Top Republicans hope the road wins over their skeptical GOP colleagues, but more conservative lawmakers are likely to seek full funding for all of Trump’s immigration and deportations.
“Let’s make it simple: Give in to Democrats and not pay CBP and ICE agree to defund law enforcement and leave our borders wide open again,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., posted on X. “If this is the vote, I decline.”
It is uncertain whether Johnson will have enough support from the House of Representatives to summon lawmakers to Washington before spring break ends in mid-April.
Meanwhile, a tight budget package being prepared later this year is expected to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the remainder of Trump’s term, as a way to try to ensure those agencies are no longer at risk of funding cuts due to Democrats’ objection to the president’s immigration enforcement agenda.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump commented on the shutdown, using a social media post to call on Republicans to fund the immigration portions of the Department of Homeland Security through a bill that does not require Democratic support. He said he wants to have the legislation on his desk by June 1.
“We will work as quickly and as focused as we can to renew funding for our border and customs agents, and the radical left Democrats will not be able to stop us,” Trump said.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement saying, “It’s time to pay TSA agents, end the airport chaos, and fully fund every part of DHS that has nothing to do with Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine.”
The vast majority of DHS workers continue to report to work during the shutdown, but several thousand remain without pay. That led to more Transportation Security Administration agents being called away from work, causing frustrating security lines at some of the nation’s largest airports. Those bottlenecks appear to have eased this week as agents began receiving back pay Executive order From Trump.
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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed reporting.