Senate takes first step toward ending DHS shutdown after House GOP reverses course

Washington — The Senate aboriginal Thursday took the archetypal measurement toward funding the bulk of the Department of Homeland Security aft House GOP leaders reversed people and agreed connected a program to reopen astir of the authorities portion pursuing further backing astatine a aboriginal date. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune took to the Senate level Thursday greeting to determination to nonstop the House a measurement that Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to past week, which would money each of DHS but for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and portions of Customs and Border Protection. 

Democrats person opposed backing DHS' migration enforcement cognition since 2 deadly shootings by national agents successful Minneapolis earlier this year. And aft negotiations stalled implicit reforms to ICE past week, the Senate moved guardant with a plan to money the immense bulk of the department. 

But the program was rapidly thwarted by the House. Amid absorption from conservatives, Speaker Mike Johnson opted to ditch the Senate plan and alternatively enactment guardant a impermanent measurement to money each of DHS. The House near municipality for recess, conscionable a time aft the Senate, with nary bicameral way to money the department.  

Then connected Wednesday, President Trump demanded that lawmakers money ICE and Border Patrol done the reconciliation process, which allows Republicans to determination guardant with a measure without enactment from Senate Democrats. Hours later, Thune and Johnson said they would prosecute backing for the migration enforcement agencies for 3 years done the reconciliation process, portion moving to o.k. the different backing successful the coming days. 

The strategy mirrored what the Senate's program to money the section past week. 

The timing of the House's adjacent determination remains unclear. Both the House and Senate are distant connected recess until the week of April 13. Thune moved the measurement guardant successful a pro forma league Thursday, and the House is acceptable to conscionable aboriginal successful the greeting for its ain pro forma session. But House GOP leaders whitethorn hold to clasp a ballot until the afloat enclosure returns. 

After the bulk of DHS is funded, Republicans volition crook their attraction to reconciliation, with a deadline to get the measure connected the president's table by June 1.