Senate Republicans are escalating pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to swiftly pass a bipartisan bill funding most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), warning that delays could leave tens of thousands of federal workers without paychecks next month. The Senate passed a budget resolution early Thursday, clearing a path for a reconciliation package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. However, Johnson has refused to advance the Senate-passed DHS funding bill—covering agencies like the TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA—until the reconciliation process is complete, a stance supported by hardline conservatives who demand unrelated policy riders, such as defunding Planned Parenthood or imposing voter ID requirements.
DHS Secretary Mullin Mediates Impasse
Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former senator, has been actively engaging with both chambers to expedite funding. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) emphasized that the Senate’s budget resolution should reassure the House that reconciliation will proceed, allowing the House to prioritize the remaining DHS funding. However, House conservatives, including members of the Freedom Caucus, insist on attaching their policy demands to the bill, risking further delays.
House Leadership’s Stance
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) stated that Republicans are working closely with Mullin to resolve the shutdown, with plans to expedite the reconciliation blueprint after the Senate’s vote-a-rama. Meanwhile, Speaker Johnson has maintained that the House will not act on the Senate’s DHS funding bill until the reconciliation package is finalized, a position that has drawn criticism from Senate Republicans concerned about the looming funding deadline.