Senate Vote Fails to Advance DHS Funding Bill
The Senate once again failed to advance legislation to fund part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been shut down for nearly six weeks. This marks the seventh unsuccessful attempt to move the bill forward.
The vote occurred shortly after former President Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order directing Markwayne Mullin, the DHS secretary, to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents during the shutdown. This action could reduce the immediate pressure on Congress to reach an agreement as it approaches a scheduled two-week recess.
By a vote of 53-47, mostly along party lines, the Senate fell short of the 60 votes required to advance the legislation. Only Democratic Senator John Fetterman broke ranks with his party to support the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed a motion to reconsider, allowing the bill to be brought up again.
Deadlock Continues Over DHS Funding
Lawmakers remain at an impasse as they attempt to reach a consensus to fund affected DHS components, including the TSA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Thune described the latest Republican proposal as the party’s "last and final" offer, but Democrats rejected it, consistently demanding stronger safeguards on federal immigration enforcement. Their stance follows the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by officers during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis in January.
Trump’s Executive Order and Senate Response
While negotiations stalled on Thursday, Trump declared a national emergency to immediately pay 50,000 airport security officers affected by the shutdown. The former president stated he would sign an executive order to "quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports," adding that "it’s not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!"
Speaking to reporters, Thune commented on Trump’s order:
"The order will take the immediate pressure off but it’s a short-term solution."
Republican Senate leadership plans to draft text to fund as much of the DHS as possible, aiming to "hotline" the resolution and pass it by unanimous consent. Thune stated in an email reported by Axios:
"This is not the outcome that we wanted, but unfortunately, Democrats have shown themselves unwilling to support law enforcement."
Republican and Democratic Proposals
This week, Senate Republicans introduced a bill proposal to fund shuttered DHS subagencies such as the TSA but exclude funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement and removal operations. They hope to pass ICE funding, along with money for the administration’s military campaign against Iran and parts of the Save America Act, through reconciliation, which requires only a simple Senate majority.
Democrats countered with a measure combining DHS funding with numerous reforms on immigration enforcement operations. GOP lawmakers quickly dismissed this offer.
House Actions and ICE Funding
Earlier, the House passed a GOP-drafted bill to reopen the DHS for the third time. The measure passed with a 218-206 vote, with four Democrats crossing party lines to support the funding.
Since ICE received $75 billion through Trump’s sweeping policy bill last year, it has largely been insulated from the funding lapse affecting other DHS parts.
Impact on TSA and Security Operations
At a House Homeland Security hearing on Wednesday, Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting TSA administrator, reported that airports nationwide are experiencing historic wait times. She warned that TSA employees will have missed a cumulative $1 billion in paychecks this fiscal year due to repeated DHS shutdowns.
McNeill stated:
"Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet."
She added that at least 40% of TSA staff are not reporting to work because they cannot afford to do so without pay. At the White House, Karoline Leavitt noted that nearly 500 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began last month.
Failed Senate Amendment on Voter ID
Earlier, senators also failed to advance an amendment to the president’s signature bill that would require voters to present photo identification at the polls. The amendment, sponsored by Republican John Husted, failed to overcome the filibuster and received no Democratic support.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the amendment, stating:
"It would impose the single strictest voter ID law in America."
