DHS Deal Funding TSA Clears First Hurdle — Now The Real Battle Begins

WASHINGTON—The Senate voted to fund portions of the Department of Homeland Security early Friday morning, bringing a partial resolution to the funding lapse that began in February.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, which will scramble to pass the bill before the weekend.

Lawmakers spent Friday morning reacting to the long-awaited action from the Senate, which omits funding for ICE and Border Patrol agents. Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles suggested the House should attach a voter ID provision to the bill, a response to the Senate’s inability to pass President Donald Trump’s favored SAVE America Act.

“WE in the HOUSE should AMEND the Senate Bill, ADD VOTER ID AND FORCE A VOTE IN THE SENATE,” Ogles posted to X on Friday morning.

However, the Senate departed for its two-week long Easter recess, which could make any amendments to the proposal difficult without prolonging the shutdown even further.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is touting the deal as a victory. Democrats triggered the shutdown in mid-February in hopes of seeking major immigration enforcement reforms, even though none are included in this current funding deal.

“This long-overdue agreement funds TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA, CISA; strengthens security at the border and at ports of entry; and keeps Americans safe. This could’ve been accomplished weeks ago if Republicans hadn’t stood in the way,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.

“Democrats held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump’s rogue and deadly militia should not get more funding without serious reforms, and we will continue to fight for those reforms,” he added. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the only member of the caucus consistently opposed to the shutdown strategy.

Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) slammed Democrats’ approach to the shutdown.

“Real profiles in courage. They created this mess, couldn’t define victory, refused to take yes for an answer, and now get nothing. Their leadership is a disaster —and [Jeffries] shut down the government twice and got nothing for it, twice. Heckuva job!”

However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (SD) said that Democrats were not cooperative in the negotiation process.

“We could be standing here right now, passing a funding bill with a list of reforms if Democrats had made the smallest effort to actually reach an agreement,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “But they didn’t. Because as is now clear to everyone, Democrats didn’t actually want a solution. They wanted an issue. Politics over policy. Self-interest, just over reform. Pandering to their base over actually solving a problem.”

Conservatives were not happy that the funding bill omits ICE funding.

“Total Senate GOP capitulation to Chuck Schumer. DHS funded EXCEPT FOR ICE,” Jim Pfaff, president of The Conservative Caucus, posted. “All this because Senators want to go on a two week, paid vacation.”

“Thune didn’t do anyone any favors with this bill.  The battle now turns to the Border Patrol and ICE.  That’s the Democrats’ goal. So, they punished the TSA and now they’ll punish Border Patrol and ICE.   In the end, the Democrats are blackmailing we, the American people,” conservative commentator Mark Levin wrote.

The state of talks appeared to change Thursday after President Donald Trump declared an emergency in order to allow for TSA officers to get paid, as airport security lines continued to be a top concern, even as ICE agents have begun assisting at some airports.

“Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday night.

“It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it! I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports. I will not allow the Radical Left Democrats to hold our Country hostage any longer,” he added.

Much of Trump’s immigration agenda was already funded last July through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” including major components of ICE and CBP, which has left the shutdown mostly impacting agencies like TSA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA.

The move to fund the department, with the exception of the immigration-related agencies, is what some Democrats have been seeking as negotiations continued, according to Punchbowl News, but they have also requested a laundry list of federal immigration enforcement reforms ranging from an end to masking for agents to the use of judicial warrants for most arrests.

The Daily Wire reported that talks on Wednesday were deteriorating as Democrats continued to push for reforms that were repeatedly rejected.

After Trump made the TSA announcement on Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said it was a clear indicator that the negotiation process was not going anywhere with Democrats.

“Time to recognize reality — Democrats will never take yes for an answer. Stop trying to negotiate with them, and begin the Reconciliation Appropriation Process to fund [DHS] for multiple years,” Johnson wrote. “And do not fund ANY Democrat priorities!!!!”

On the flip side, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) tweeted that she is “very glad that these workers are finally being paid.”

“It is shameful the Trump administration chose not to pay them for 41 days,” she added. “Why couldn’t it have been done sooner?”