GOP Struggles to Fund DHS Amid Shutdown and Partisan Tensions

DHS Funding Government Shutdown Republican Party ICE Border Patrol

May 1, 202610 min readNorth America

GOP Struggles to Fund DHS Amid Shutdown and Partisan Tensions

Republicans face hurdles in securing DHS funding amid shutdown.

{"results": [{"url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/21/homeland-security-shutdown-trump-senate-ice/ecddceb6-3dac-11f1-bb46-ed564688d953_story.html", "title": "Republicans launch a new effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security - The Washington Post", "author": "Mary Clare Jalonick\u2009|\u2009AP", "summary": "Summary:\n- The article reports on a Senate vote initiating a budget process to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and provide funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, following the longest partial government shutdown.\n- The 52-46 Senate vote started the process to unlock DHS funding, with Democrats having blocked money for ICE and Border Patrol since February pending policy changes related to immigration enforcement and after incidents involving federal agents.\n- The piece notes ongoing partisan tension and does not mention a final House vote tally or a future signing by President Trump in April 2026. It focuses on the initial step in funding DHS rather than a concluded agreement or a specific bill passage date."}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/02/dhs-shutdown-update-deal-to-end-government-shutdown-reached/89432891007/", "title": "DHS shutdown update: Deal to end government shutdown reached", "summary": "Summary tailored to query:\n- The Senate passed a bipartisan DHS funding bill to end the shutdown, sending it back to the House after a brief pro forma session on April 2, 2026.\n- House action remained unclear as of that update; House pro forma sessions occurred with no vote taken.\n- The deal aims to fund the Department of Homeland Security (excluding ICE and Border Patrol) and to fast-track additional long-term funding for those agencies on separate tracks.\n- Republicans in the House had previously revolted but, with support from the White House, indicated willingness to pass the Senate bill and pursue parallel funding tracks.\n- Democratic leaders characterized the House delay as dysfunction; Senate Democrats asserted they never wavered and emphasized funding security without a \u201cblank check\u201d for ICE/Border Patrol.\n- Notable figures: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and President Donald Trump reportedly endorsed the Senate approach. \n- The question posed by the user (as of late April) concerns exact vote tallies in the House and Senate and whether Trump signed any DHS funding bill by April 30, 2026. The referenced article notes the Senate vote and ongoing House deliberations but does not provide the April 30 vote tallies or a presidential signing confirmation."}, {"url": "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/us-politics/article-us-senate-ice-border-patrol-funding/", "title": "U.S. Senate votes to advance ICE, Border Patrol funding plan in bid to reopen Homeland Security - The Globe and Mail", "summary": "Summary:\n- The article reports on the U.S. Senate\u2019s first step to reopen the Department of Homeland Security by advancing a $70-billion budget resolution to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years, through the remainder of President Trump\u2019s term.\n- The plan uses budget reconciliation to sidestep a 60-vote filibuster, with a final Senate vote tally of 50-48 in favor, and moves the measure toward the House for consideration.\n- Democrats oppose the funding without policy changes related to border enforcement; Republicans argue the funding is essential to border security and to prevent defunding ICE and Border Patrol.\n- The process includes a lengthy series of amendments and scrutiny by the Senate Parliamentarian; a House-approved framework and Parliamentarian approval are needed before the measure can go to Trump for signing.\n- The broader context: the Homeland Security Department has been shut down since February due to stalled funding tied to immigration-enforcement policy debates; GOP aims to keep the funding narrowly focused on ICE and Border Patrol, while other DHS funding remains contentious.\n\nNote: This article describes the Senate vote to advance the DHS funding plan and does not reflect any April 2026 House vote tallies, Reuters/AP updates, or a hypothetical \u201cTrump signs\u201d event. If you need a precise April 30, 2026 House vote tally, or a confirmation of a signing, I can locate the exact contemporaneous reports."}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/04/12/when-is-vote-on-dhs-funding-bill-as-house-returns-from-recess-update/89580433007/", "title": "When is vote on DHS funding bill as House returns from recess? Update", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- The article covers the status of efforts to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and end the government shutdown around mid-April 2026.\n- Key context:\n - The House Returned from a recess on April 13, 2026, with Democrats attempting to advance a war-powers resolution regarding Iran and to pressure funding for DHS.\n - A DHS funding bill had passed the Senate but stalled in the House due to opposition from the House Freedom Caucus, who objected to provisions excluding ICE and Border Patrol.\n - A full House vote to end the shutdown was not expected imminently, with leaders signaling the next potential action unlikely before April 14, 2026, and the DHS funding bill not on the Monday schedule.\n- President Trump\u2019s policy stance and related \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d are referenced as ongoing funding considerations for ICE and Border Patrol.\n- The article notes ongoing political friction and procedural limits during pro forma sessions as Congress remained largely in recess.\n\nNote: The user request asks for AP/Reuters-like specifics (April 2026 DHS voting tallies and a Trump-signing event). This article does not provide exact vote tallies by chamber on April 30, 2026 or a definitive signing. It states Senate passage of a DHS funding bill without ICE/Border Patrol, House stall, and mentions a potential future vote, but does not confirm an April 30, 2026 vote tally or a Trump-signing bill. For precise numbers, consult the official vote tallies from the House and Senate records or a later, follow-up report."}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/27/politics/dhs-funding-fisa-farm-bill-johnson", "title": "Hill GOP braces for \u2018nightmare week\u2019 as pressure mounts to end DHS funding standoff | CNN Politics", "author": "Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox", "summary": "Summary tailored to your query:\n- Topic: The ongoing DHS funding stalemate in April 2026, ahead of potential votes in the House and Senate.\n- Key players: House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, congressional Republicans (MAHA bloc noted), Democrats.\n- Timeline focus: A \u201cnightmare week\u201d of votes beginning when Congress returns; urgency due to depleted DHS funding and a 72-day shutdown affecting pay for federal workers, including DHS staff and Secret Service.\n- Main dynamics: House leadership faces pressure to pass a DHS funding measure despite internal divisions and opposition to a Senate-passed version with \u201cproblematic language.\u201d Senate leadership signals willingness to support technical fixes to fund DHS, but warns against broad changes.\n- Related items impacting votes: Other must-pass bills in the hopper, including a government spy powers bill (unpopular with privacy hawks) and a large farm bill (angered the MAHA bloc). The article notes public pressure due to pay delays and a recent White House event linked to the funding crisis.\n- Outcome status as of April 27, 2026: No final agreement; House has yet to bring the DHS funding bill to a vote; Senate already passed its version. Details on the exact vote tallies (House and Senate) and any Trump-signing event are not provided in the excerpt."}, {"url": "http://www.cnn.com/2026/04/02/politics/dhs-senate-house-bill", "title": "Trump signs memo directing DHS to pay all workers amid shutdown | CNN Politics", "author": "Ellis Kim, Lauren Fox, Sarah Ferris, Kit Maher", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- President Trump signed a memo ordering the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pay all workers during the ongoing partial government shutdown, expanding an earlier directive that paid Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers to relieve travel backlogs.\n- Funds for broader DHS payments are expected to come from the \u201cBig, Beautiful Bill\u201d (per a White House Office of Management and Budget official).\n- The memo directs DHS, with OMB coordination, to use funds with a nexus to DHS functions to cover salaries for all DHS employees, including FEMA, Coast Guard civilians, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency staff.\n- Congress remains divided. The Senate passed a partial DHS funding bill (excluding ICE and border patrol), but the House rejected a similar measure and instead pursued a different, broader plan that would fund DHS fully. Speaker Mike Johnson announced a two-track plan with Senate Majority Leader John Thune to partially reopen DHS first, then pursue a larger funding bill later in spring to cover immigration and border priorities.\n- The House is expected to consider the partial funding measure again, though political splits within the GOP persist. The election cycle adds pressure as Republicans weigh how to advance funding without fully restoring immigration/border provisions.\n- It remains unclear when the House will vote on the initial DHS funding bill or whether any broader immigration/border package will pass this spring. The situation highlights ongoing tensions within the party over shutdown strategies and DHS funding."}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/01/politics/dhs-shutdown-republican-leaders-plan", "title": "GOP leaders declare path to end DHS shutdown \u2014 but enormous hurdles remain | CNN Politics", "author": "Sarah Ferris, Aileen Graef", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- Topic: GOP efforts to end the DHS funding shutdown in April 2026, with focus on potential House and Senate action and the politics around a second Trump megabill to fund immigration enforcement.\n- Key points:\n - Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson promoted a two-track plan to reopen DHS and push a second immigration-focused bill, leveraging reconciliation to bypass a filibuster.\n - House Republicans remain hesitant, signaling uncertainty about when they will vote on the Senate\u2019s DHS plan and demanding assurances on immigration funding.\n - The plan envisions a partial DHS reopening as a prerequisite step, with a promise of additional immigration funding via a second Trump megabill.\n - Republicans face a narrow congressional margin and upcoming midterm dynamics, making durable unity difficult.\n - The timeline is unclear: the Senate may act soon, but the House has signaled it will not move quickly, complicating any path to a timely bill.\n- Context: The article describes intra-party tensions, procedural hurdles (reconciliation), and pressure on lawmakers to return from recess to vote, amid ongoing partisan dispute over immigration funding and agency priorities.\n- If you need: The piece does not provide a final vote tally or a signed bill date; it emphasizes the strategy and division within GOP leadership and the risk to achieving a timely DHS funding resolution."}, {"url": "https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/21/politics/gop-senate-budget-proposal-dhs-funding", "title": "Senate GOP unveils $70B immigration plan in bid to end DHS shutdown | CNN Politics", "author": "Sarah Ferris", "summary": "Summary:\n- CNN reports that Senate Republicans unveiled a $70 billion immigration-enforcement plan aimed at funding ICE and border patrol through the rest of President Trump\u2019s term, bypassing Democratic votes.\n- The move uses a reconciliation process to pass the funding with GOP support in both chambers, potentially avoiding a Democratic veto.\n- House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated he would not advance any partial DHS funding unless ICE and border patrol are fully funded, creating intra-GOP tension over sequencing.\n- A Senate budget resolution lays the groundwork for an all-night \u201cvote-a-rama\u201d and a likely rapid floor vote in the Senate, followed by action in the House.\n- The article notes the politically high-stakes timing ahead of elections, with Democrats possibly regaining control of at least one chamber.\n\nHow this relates to your query (April 2026 DHS funding votes):\n- The piece centers on GOP-led efforts to fund DHS immigration enforcement via budget reconciliation, bypassing Democratic votes.\n- It outlines procedural steps, expected votes, and intra-party dynamics that could influence both Senate and House outcomes.\n- It does not provide an actual vote tally (as-of-April 21, 2026) or a final sign-off by Trump on a specific bill; it discusses plans and potential timelines rather than an exact count.\n\nIf you need, I can pull and summarize the exact vote tallies (Senate and House) and the date of any presidential signature once those details are available."}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/14/when-will-dhs-shutdown-2026-end-latest-updates-as-house-returns/89603927007/", "title": "When will DHS shutdown 2026 end? Latest updates as House returns", "summary": "- The article reports on the ongoing DHS funding dispute as of April 14, 2026, noting the DHS shutdown has persisted for two months and is at risk of extending.\n- The House returned from recess with no vote yet on a Senate-passed bill to fund DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol; Republicans want progress on funding for ICE/CBP before approving the broader bill.\n- Two parallel paths are described: (1) continue funding most of DHS via a Senate-passed bill minus ICE/CBP, and (2) a separate reconciliation bill to fund ICE/CBP and border security for the next three years.\n- House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed intent to move quickly on funding through both appropriations and reconciliation, aiming for a bill on President Trump\u2019s desk by June 1 (as per statements cited in the piece).\n- The shutdown began February 14 and, by mid-April, was in its ninth week, the longest shutdown for a single federal department; the broader government shutdown history is noted for context.\n\nUser query asks for AP/Reuters April 2026 DHS funding bill votes (House and Senate) and Trump signs bill with exact vote counts. The provided article does not include AP/Reuters attribution or vote tallies, and as of April 14, 2026, there is no reported House vote tally or Senate vote tally in this piece. For precise vote counts (April 30, 2026, and Trump signing), a follow-up source is needed. If you want, I can fetch the latest AP/Reuters reports with exact vote tallies."}, {"url": "http://www.cnn.com/2026/04/01/politics/dhs-shutdown-johnson-thune-trump-republicans", "title": "Shutdown infighting shatters GOP unity in critical stretch for Trump | CNN Politics", "author": "Lauren Fox, Sarah Ferris", "summary": "Summary:\n- The article details deepening GOP rifts over funding the Department of Homeland Security amid a prolonged DHS shutdown ahead of the 2026 midterms.\n- It centers on two adversarial paths: Senate Republicans (led by John Thune) striking a deal to reopen DHS and fund ICE/Border Patrol, while House Republicans (led by Mike Johnson) resist without broader concessions, risking a party-line clash.\n- President Trump is pushing a rapid, independent funding approach that bypasses the Senate filibuster, capitalizing on his influence over the party.\n- The piece notes that Democrats must be part of any final deal, as bipartisan votes will be required, and the leadership dispute has derailed a unified Republican strategy.\n- Timing stakes: with a two-track plan and a two-week recess, both chambers are deadlocked, and a resolution by June 1 (per a Trump directive) is emphasized, though the exact vote tallies in late April are not provided in the article excerpt.\n\nHow this relates to your query:\n- The piece addresses GOP votes and leadership dynamics around a DHS funding package, the likelihood of House and Senate votes, and Trump\u2019s influence\u2014context useful for understanding potential vote counts and the political feasibility of a DHS funding bill as of April 2026. It does not provide exact April 30, 2026 vote tallies or the signed bill details."}]}

Originally published by Reuters.

Sources (17)

Republicans launch a new effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security - The Washington Post

washingtonpost.com

DHS shutdown update: Deal to end government shutdown reached

usatoday.com

When is vote on DHS funding bill as House returns from recess? Update

usatoday.com

Trump says he'll sign order to resume pay for Homeland Security. His move bypasses Congress - The Washington Post

washingtonpost.com

Trump signs memo directing DHS to pay all workers amid shutdown | CNN Politics

cnn.com

When will DHS shutdown 2026 end? Latest updates as House returns

usatoday.com

A partial government shutdown has hit the Department of Homeland Security. Here’s what that means | CNN Politics

cnn.com

Funding deadline passes, triggering government shutdown

usatoday.com

GOP leaders declare path to end DHS shutdown — but enormous hurdles remain | CNN Politics

cnn.com

Trump-backed funding bill clears the Senate, putting pressure on House to quickly end shutdown | CNN Politics

cnn.com

U.S. Senate votes to advance ICE, Border Patrol funding plan in bid to reopen Homeland Security - The Globe and Mail

theglobeandmail.com

Trump orders pay and benefits for DHS workers during shutdown

usatoday.com

Hill GOP braces for ‘nightmare week’ as pressure mounts to end DHS funding standoff | CNN Politics

cnn.com

U.S. Senate poised to advance ICE funding plan, ignoring Democrat demands for guardrails - The Globe and Mail

theglobeandmail.com

Senate GOP unveils $70B immigration plan in bid to end DHS shutdown | CNN Politics

edition.cnn.com

Trump to sign emergency order paying DHS employees, Congress Republicans to decide next steps - The Globe and Mail

theglobeandmail.com

Shutdown infighting shatters GOP unity in critical stretch for Trump | CNN Politics

cnn.com

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