Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is unlikely to move legislation ending a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security until Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) kickstarts the party-line budget reconciliation process to pass another megabill.
A source familiar told the Washington Examiner that Johnson wants to see progress on reconciliation before passing a deal Thune struck with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to fund everything at DHS except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Thune and Johnson plan to move funding for the latter two agencies via reconciliation.
President Donald Trump has given Congress a June 1 deadline by which to pass that narrow immigration funding package.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) has been meeting with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to figure out the first steps for this bill.
“I will work with my fellow Republican committee members to meet your request to have reconciliation done by June 1, fully funding ICE and Border Patrol,” Graham said last week in a statement.
Johnson’s delay comes as House Republicans are not keen on the Thune-Schumer deal to reopen DHS. Several House Republicans are frustrated that Johnson pushed through a rejection of the bill late last month over its exclusion of funding ICE and CBP. Instead, the House passed a short-term, 60-day funding patch for all of DHS with the support of three Democrats.
After lawmakers left town for a two-week spring break, Johnson reversed course and endorsed the Senate’s deal after securing agreement from Thune to pass ICE and CBP funding via reconciliation.
The DHS shutdown has stretched to more than 50 days. Yet, pressure has slightly eased on Congressional lawmakers, who have been on spring break since March 27, to end the impasse.
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Trump has issued an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration employees, many of whom were calling out in record numbers and causing hourslong delays at airport security checkpoints. DHS has also deployed ICE agents to the nation’s airports to help reduce long lines.
The situation is tenuous, however, as Trump’s executive order is likely to be challenged in the courts and could be struck down.