In a late-night decision, House Republicans approved a temporary funding bill on Friday aimed at sustaining the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This move came after they dismissed a Senate-approved spending proposal, which notably excluded provisions for immigration enforcement.
This development is likely to extend the partial government shutdown, which has already lasted six weeks.
The House’s stopgap measure proposes to secure funding for the DHS for an additional 60 days. However, it faces a challenging path in the Senate, where approval seems improbable.
Passed by a narrow vote of 213-209, the resolution received support from three Democrats joining the Republican majority. Sixteen lawmakers, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, were absent from the vote.
The Senate’s version of the bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, passed with unanimous consent early Friday morning. Although backed by House Democrats, it was criticized by House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and other Republicans for not allocating any funds to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The Senate version â put forward by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and approved via unanimous consent at around 3 a.m. Friday â was supported by House Democrats but denounced by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other Republicans for the âzeroâ dollars for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
âThis bill absolutely defunds the police,â House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said of the Senate bill on the House floor.
âThat is not the responsible thing to do for this country,â Scalise argued.
Billions of dollars in funding for ICE and CBP were already secured last summer in President Trumpâs One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Senate Republicans were hopeful additional funds for ICE and CBP could be passed through the reconciliation process â which would require a simple majority rather than 60 votes â in the near future.
House Republican leadership was concerned that approach would be risky.
Trump also slammed theSenate DHS bill as ânot appropriateâ for failing to fund ICE and Border Patrol.
âWell, it wasn’t good. It wasn’t appropriate,â the president said in an interview with Fox Newsâ Jacqui Heinrich.
âYou can’t have a bill that’s not going to fund – in my opinion, you can’t have a bill thatâs not going to fund ICE. You can’t have a bill that’s not going to fund any form of law enforcement, of which ICE is a big form, and so is Border Patrol,â Trump continued.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) described the House GOPâs stopgap measure as âpartisan political stunt ⦠masquerading as legitimate legislation.â
âIf Speaker Johnson would just put the damn bill on the floor of the House for an up or down vote we all know it would pass,â Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) fumed on the House floor.
More than a dozens of House lawmakers missed Fridayâs vote.
Senators also skipped town Friday, beginning a two-week recess.
The House speaker noted in an interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade that the continuing resolution could be passed via unanimous consent in the Senate as early as Monday, during a pro forma session.
âIf no one objects then it automatically happens,â Johnson explained. âThey donât even have to fly back in town to do that.â
However, the House speaker acknowledged that all it would take for the gambit to be defeated is for one senator in the chamber to object.
Senate Democrats have held up DHS funding for 42 days in protest of the ICE and Customs and Border Protection-involved fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota earlier this year.
Trump signed an executive order on Friday authorizing DHS to pay TSA workers amid the shutdown, which is expected to alleviate some of the long security lines at airports.
Other DHS workers, including FEMA staffers and members of the US Coast Guard, will continue to be unpaid.
