--- title: "Trump's Growing Leverage in DHS and Iran Stal" description: "Trump's influence grows as Congress stalls over DHS funding and an Iran vote, with deadlocked standoffs handing the White House new leverage on immigration." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/story/trump-gains-leverage-amid-dhs-funding-and-iran-vote-stalemate" --- # Trump's Growing Leverage in DHS and Iran Stal Congress struggles with DHS funding and Iran military actions. Model DiplomatMay 1, 20263 min readNorth America [Sarah Ferris, Aileen GraefGOP leaders declare path to end DHS shutdown — but enormous hurdles remain | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/01/politics/dhs-shutdown-republican-leaders-plan)[Sarah Ferris, Veronica Stracqualursi, Ellis Kim, Annie Grayer, Lauren FoxHouse GOP rejects Senate DHS deal, prolonging shutdown | CNN Politics](https://cnn.com/2026/03/27/politics/dhs-shutdown-funding-bill-senate-house-vote)[Ellis Kim, Lauren Fox, Sarah Ferris, Kit MaherTrump signs memo directing DHS to pay all workers amid shutdown | CNN Politics](http://www.cnn.com/2026/04/02/politics/dhs-senate-house-bill) ## Trump’s Leverage Grows as DHS and Iran Fights Stall *House conservatives are using DHS funding to force immigration terms, while Congress’s failed Iran vote leaves Trump with wider room to act.* Donald Trump starts **May 1** with more room to maneuver than his numbers alone would suggest. The real power dynamic is congressional fragmentation. CNN’s May 1 briefing put the **DHS shutdown** and the **war powers** fight side by side; that is the story line that matters now: Congress is struggling both to fund the president’s own security apparatus and to constrain his use of force abroad. [5 things to know for May 1: DHS shutdown, war powers, press dinner shooting, redistricting fight, Camp Mystic | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/01/us/5-things-to-know-for-may-1-dhs-shutdown-war-powers-press-dinner-shooting-redistricting-fight-camp-mystic "cnn.com") [How every House member voted to block Trump from ordering Iran strikes - Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2026/04/16/house-vote-war-powers-trump-iran/ "washingtonpost.com") ## Johnson holds the domestic choke point On **DHS**, leverage sits with **Speaker Mike Johnson**, not with Senate leaders or Democrats. By **April 27**, CNN reported the shutdown had reached **72 days**, with DHS relying on a **$10 billion rainy-day fund** that leaders warned was nearly depleted. The Senate had already passed a reopening measure twice, but Johnson was still refusing to bring it up, arguing the bill’s language was flawed and objecting that it did not fund **ICE** and **Customs and Border Protection** the way conservatives wanted. [Hill GOP braces for ‘nightmare week’ as pressure mounts to end DHS funding standoff | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/27/politics/dhs-funding-fisa-farm-bill-johnson "cnn.com") That makes the shutdown a bargaining tool. Johnson and House conservatives are trying to convert operational pressure into immigration concessions, while **Senate Majority Leader John Thune** has pushed a two-track approach: reopen DHS now, then fight over a larger immigration package later. [GOP leaders declare path to end DHS shutdown — but enormous hurdles remain | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/01/politics/dhs-shutdown-republican-leaders-plan "cnn.com") **Who benefits:** Trump and the House hardline bloc, because the standoff keeps border enforcement at the center of the agenda.\ **Who loses:** swing-district Republicans, DHS employees, and Senate Republicans who want to end the disruption without surrendering the rest of their legislative calendar. ## The Iran vote showed Congress’s limits The war-powers fight points in the same direction. On **April 16**, the House failed **214-213** to pass a measure intended to block Trump from ordering further strikes on **Iran** without congressional backing. Supporters tied the effort to the **War Powers Resolution of 1973** and a **May 1** deadline argument. [How every House member voted to block Trump from ordering Iran strikes - Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2026/04/16/house-vote-war-powers-trump-iran/ "washingtonpost.com") That one-vote failure matters more than the rhetoric around it. Congress showed it can criticize Trump’s military posture, but not reliably discipline it. The deeper [US Politics](https://modeldiplomat.com/discover/us-politics "modeldiplomat.com") pattern is institutional: narrow majorities are giving small blocs veto power, and that usually helps the executive. ## What to watch next The next decision point is simple. **Will Johnson allow a vote on the Senate DHS bill, or keep holding out for a broader immigration package before DHS cash runs out?** [Hill GOP braces for ‘nightmare week’ as pressure mounts to end DHS funding standoff | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/27/politics/dhs-funding-fisa-farm-bill-johnson "cnn.com") On Iran, watch for any new strike, ceasefire lapse, or fresh House vote with different attendance. A one-vote margin is not a mandate; it is a warning that the next procedural test could flip. For the [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/usa "modeldiplomat.com"), the immediate issue is not ideology. It is whether congressional Republicans can convert nominal control into governing control before events do it for them. [Trump](https://modeldiplomat.com/tag/trump)[Dhs](https://modeldiplomat.com/tag/dhs)[Iran](https://modeldiplomat.com/tag/iran)[Congress](https://modeldiplomat.com/tag/congress)[Immigration](https://modeldiplomat.com/tag/immigration) Discover more [Conflict & Security](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/de-la-espriellas-razor-win-resets-us-colomb) #### [De la Espriella's Razor Win Resets US-Colomb](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/de-la-espriellas-razor-win-resets-us-colomb) [De la Espriella's razor-thin election win signals a reset in US-Colombia relations, reshaping security ties and the agenda under a Trump-aligned approach.](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/de-la-espriellas-razor-win-resets-us-colomb) [International Relations](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/colombias-razor-thin-rightward-pivot) #### [Colombia's Razor-Thin Rightward Pivot](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/colombias-razor-thin-rightward-pivot) [Colombia swings right as Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly wins the presidential runoff by under one percent, exposing a deeply divided and polarized nation.](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/colombias-razor-thin-rightward-pivot) [Global Politics](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/iran-demands-us-enforce-ceasefire) #### [Iran Demands US Enforce Ceasefire](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/iran-demands-us-enforce-ceasefire) [Iran insists the United States must enforce a ceasefire in Lebanon to uphold the memorandum of understanding, raising pressure on Washington and Netanyahu.](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/iran-demands-us-enforce-ceasefire) [Conflict & Security](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/trumps-iran-deal-faces-bipartisan-backlash) #### [Trump's Iran Deal Faces Bipartisan Backlash](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/trumps-iran-deal-faces-bipartisan-backlash) [Trump's Iran deal draws fierce criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, exposing deep political divides over the ceasefire and the terms of the agreement.](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/trumps-iran-deal-faces-bipartisan-backlash)