The U.S. Senate sent its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill back to the House on Thursday, following President Donald Trump's endorsement of the legislation.
Key Takeaways
The U.S. Senate sent its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill back to the House after President Trump's endorsement. The measure funds most DHS operations but withholds immigration enforcement activities. Democrats oppose funding ICE due to deadly shootings by federal agents, while Republicans aim to fund those agencies later through party-line spending legislation.
According to Reuters, the measure funds most DHS operations through September 30 but withholds funding for immigration enforcement activities. The Senate had unanimously approved the bill last week, but it was rejected by the House before its two-week recess. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson agreed to support the bill after Trump gave his blessing.
As reported by The Guardian, Democrats have opposed funding DHS's immigration enforcement operations since two deadly shootings by federal agents earlier this year. The Senate's plan funds most of the department while pursuing additional funding for immigration enforcement at a later date through the reconciliation process, which allows Republicans to move forward without Democratic support.
According to UPI, the DHS has been shut down since February 14 as Democrats and Republicans battle over the funding bill. The House is set to meet briefly on Thursday morning, but it's unclear when a vote will happen. If the bill doesn't pass, it could be put on hold until April 14, when the recess ends.
Per The Guardian, Senate Majority Leader John Thune moved to set aside the House's alternative bill, which would have funded the entire DHS for eight weeks. Johnson has said he supports the Senate's bill but could struggle to get it passed due to opposition from hardline Republicans.
As reported by The Guardian, the partial shutdown of the DHS has become the longest such funding lapse in history, causing security lines at some major airports to stretch for hours after Transportation Security Administration agents went weeks without pay. Trump last week signed an order for them to receive paychecks, and lines have shortened in the days since.
According to Reuters, President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would soon sign an order to pay all employees at the Department of Homeland Security. 'I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
As reported by The Los Angeles Times, President Trump's move to resume pay for DHS employees is expected to apply to non-law enforcement personnel, including those at FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard. The funding lapse for some Homeland Security needs is likely to stretch into next week as the House contemplates passing a Senate plan it had previously rejected.
The Republican leadership and Trump have coalesced around a two-step process to fully fund DHS, with initial funding excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. Republicans aim to fund those agencies later through party-line spending legislation, which could face opposition from both Democrats and hardline Republicans.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 9 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.