Overnight, Republican Senators agreed to a Democratic plan to pass a funding package for DHS that would stop a shutdown that has dragged on for over 40 days. If adopted, it would end the chaos that has gripped airports across the U.S. over the past six weeks, but now House Republicans — who must approve the plan next — are outraged by their Senate colleagues’ capitulation, and passage seems dubious at best.
The stalemate began when Democrats refused to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security without concessions to rein in ICE, an agency Americans now overwhelmingly disapprove of. The resulting shutdown meant no pay for TSA workers, which pushed agents to resign and callout in droves, causing long lines and other airport disruptions.
In an attempt to ease the situation, Democrats repeatedly offered to support the passage of a DHS funding package that would not include ICE, suggesting that ICE funding could then be debated separately while TSA staff got back to work with pay. Such proposals were ultimately rejected by President Donald Trump, who told Republicans to refuse the deal.
But Thursday night, Senate Republicans caved, agreeing to the Democratic plan that has been on the table for weeks. Now it moves over to the House, where Republicans are expressing outrage that may have already doomed the DHS package, meaning airport disruptions will continue.
“In the dead of night, with only five senators present on the floor and no one there to object, the Senate rushed through a DHS funding bill that deliberately left ICE and CBP unfunded,” complained Congressman Keith Self (R-TX). “No SAVE America Act. ICE and CBP unfunded. Senate Republicans just gave the Democrats everything they wanted and more.”
House Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-MI) called the plan “garbage” — sentiments echoed by Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) — and asserted there would be no House vote on it.
“We’ll reject it out of hand,” said Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX).
This is all happening as members of Congress prepare to head home for a two-week recess, and already 11 Republicans are absent from the House, and many Senators have left, complicating GOP opposition.
The Senate should return to session, asserted Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN), saying, "They can come off their yacht... their fine country estates, and get their ass back to Washington."
Whatever happens, opponents of the plan face an uphill battle.
“House Republicans are discussing restoring all of CBP and ICE's funding in the Senate-passed DHS bill,” said Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman, explaining that it is “still up in the air whether they can do this today. They don't have same-day authority, so they can't pass a rule and bring it to the floor on the same day. They can't pass this on suspension of the rules because they won't have” two-thirds of the vote.
Now House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is putting forward a package that would restore the disputed ICE funding, but as political reporter Reese Gorman points out, Democrats are "unlikely to go for this in either chamber.”
“I meant it when I said not another dime for ICE without real reforms on paper,” declared Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
