Trump pushes House Republicans to back DHS funding bill despite Johnson doubts

Donald Trump pushed House Republicans to back a homeland security funding bill even as Speaker Mike Johnson signaled he wanted changes, turning a budget fight into a test of who controls the GOP agenda. The clash centers on whether Congress will fully reopen the Department of Homeland Security now, or keep key agencies in limbo while Republicans try to negotiate a second bill for immigration enforcement.

Johnson said Monday that the Senate-passed measure was “problematic” and “haphazardly drafted,” arguing it would have to be modified because it would effectively leave Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection unfunded. He also warned that a version passed as written would “orphan” the department’s primary immigration agencies, setting up a standoff with senators who want the House to move quickly.

The White House pressure intensified after Saturday’s attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, which made immediate funding for the U.S. Secret Service more urgent. The legislation would finance the Secret Service and other DHS agencies, while leaving ICE and Border Patrol for a second measure. Delaying the bill would keep border operations, federal protective services and other core homeland security functions tied to a shutdown that has already stretched beyond two months, with the department closed since mid-February.

Republican leaders first laid out the two-track strategy on April 1, with Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune backing a plan to pass one bill for most of DHS and a second reconciliation measure for ICE and Border Patrol. Trump endorsed that approach and then, on Monday, pressed House Republicans to unite behind it and get the final bill to his desk by June 1. The reconciliation route would let the Senate approve the second measure by simple majority instead of the 60 votes usually needed to overcome a filibuster.

Thune has warned that DHS will run out of money before the second bill can clear Congress, and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said salaries would run out in the first week of May. GOP senators have warned that tens of thousands of federal workers could miss paychecks if the House keeps stalling, while Johnson’s hesitation could force the Senate to vote again on any revised package, where Democrats could block it unless new immigration restrictions are added.