The two top Republicans in Congress appear to be on different wavelengths as they diverge on what is the best path forward to fund the Department of Homeland Security — possibly delaying a final deal.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on Monday that Republicans would need to change the spending resolution that funds most of the department, with the exception of immigration enforcement, through the end of September. Johnson said the bill would need to be changed after complaints from conservative Republicans who protested the lack of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
“It has some problematic language because it was haphazardly drafted,” Johnson told reporters on Monday. “We have a modified version that I think is going to be much better for both chambers.”
House conservatives in the Freedom Caucus have repeatedly said they would reject the funding package because it contains zeros for both ICE and Border Patrol in the legislative text. Republican leaders had planned to pair that funding package with another funding bill specifically targeting immigration enforcement that could pass without Democratic support.
Johnson previously backed that two-track process with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., earlier this month. Now, the speaker seems to be folding to conservative pressure.
The misalignment could delay passage of DHS funding, even after Republicans have ramped up calls to reopen the department after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner where President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet were attending. Secret Service agents and TSA staff, which are both funded under DHS, were tasked with securing the event.
If the House does alter the Senate-passed funding package, it would require going back to the Senate for approval before it can be signed by Trump. That could be easier said than done as Democrats may be more inclined to block the measure depending on the language surrounding immigration funding.
Meanwhile, Thune remained supportive of the two-track path.
“I think we did everything we can to ensure that everything is appropriately funded,” Thune said of the Senate on Monday. “Our work in terms of the funding process is well underway here, and hopefully that will be enough to get the House in a comfortable position.”
The Senate passed a budget resolution last week to begin drafting the second leg of the dual funding plan, which is expected to get a vote in the House on Wednesday, according to an early draft of the schedule shared with the Deseret News.