Mike Johnson faces Homeland Security funding showdown amid GOP divisions, as lawmakers clash over spending priorities and border security measures
House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a significant challenge in approving the Senate's early morning funding measure for large parts of the Department of Homeland Security due to a lack of House votes and strong opposition from within his own party. House Republicans are particularly furious that the bill, as passed by the Senate, omits funding for federal immigration enforcement and border patrol. This has led to internal discussions about rejecting the measure and proposing their own legislation.
Multiple GOP sources indicate that House Republicans are deeply displeased with the Senate's actions. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer stated on Friday morning, “The one thing I can tell you is that there is a common disgust from our leadership team and from our members about what they did over in the Senate, and it really was not appropriate.” Enraged House conservatives have publicly criticized the bill, with some claiming Senate Majority Leader John Thune "jammed" it through his chamber without a roll call vote or debate.
Some in the House GOP leadership are contemplating rejecting the Senate measure entirely and putting forward their own proposal. Speaker Johnson and his team are currently assessing whether the Republican conference can accept the Senate's bill or if they should attempt to send legislation with their own priorities back to the Senate. House GOP leaders have been in discussions throughout the morning, while staff have been reviewing the bill.
Leaders of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus have announced they will not support the Senate measure. They are demanding that any bill include funding for border patrol and President Donald Trump's priority of new voter ID restrictions. Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, who leads the Freedom Caucus, declared, “The only thing we’re going to support is adding that funding into the bill, adding voter ID, sending it back to the Senate, make them come back in and do their work.” He also downplayed concerns about TSA disruptions, stating, “The president has already said he’s going to fund TSA out of funds he has.”
Despite claims from Senate Majority Leader John Thune that the House was aware of the Senate's plans, multiple senior GOP House leaders told CNN they received no warning about his push to partially fund the department. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole expressed uncertainty, telling CNN, “I don’t even know what it is yet,” when asked about his potential support for the plan.
House GOP leaders are skeptical about passing the bill through regular order, which requires a procedural vote needing near-unanimous Republican support. Some Democrats have suggested they might assist with this vote, an unusual move reflecting the House's tight margins and the desire for a funding solution. Another potential path is for Democrats to help pass the bill under a fast-tracked process known as "suspension," which requires two-thirds House approval. However, GOP hardliners oppose this route and have previously used House rules to prevent such votes on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. While leadership can override this rule, it would likely cause significant internal dissent.
Either path forward is expected to be complicated and may require President Trump's endorsement to secure enough GOP votes. Some Republicans argue that the party has no choice, citing increasing TSA issues during spring break travel and concerns about FEMA and Coast Guard operations. Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey emphasized the need to reopen the government, stating, “I mean, we’ve got to, for God’s sake, we’ve got to open this piece of government up.” Rep. Frank Lucas commented on the process, saying, “We do it the hardest, most painful, most awkward, most drawn out miserable way, but eventually we get it done. This is a classic example of that.”
House Democrats have not issued formal statements, but individuals close to leadership believe most of the caucus will support the plan. The Democratic conference is meeting Friday morning to discuss their next steps and the extent of their assistance to Speaker Johnson on the floor. While the bill lacks reforms Democrats sought, it does not include new funding for ICE, which Democrats view as an opportunity for future negotiations. Crucially for Democrats, the bill omits funding for Border Patrol, a key point of contention in prior discussions. The Senate measure does, however, include funding for US customs operations.