House Speaker Johnson Pushes 60-Day DHS Funding Bill, Schumer Declares It 'DOA'
House Speaker Mike Johnson has agreed to advance a new 60-day funding package for the Department of Homeland Security, a move that directly challenges the Senate's version and extends the agency's partial shutdown. The resolution would fund all DHS operations, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), replacing the narrower Senate-passed bill on the House floor. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer immediately declared the House measure 'DOA' (Dead on Arrival), signaling a swift and certain collision between the chambers.
The decision follows intense pressure from the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, which threatened to sink the Senate bill without major concessions. The shift reflects Speaker Johnson's attempt to navigate internal GOP demands, which include the addition of voter ID requirements, increased border patrol funding, and other resources for immigration enforcement. This maneuver forces the Senate to return and vote on the revised House measure, prolonging the budgetary impasse that has already lasted over five weeks.
The standoff creates immediate pressure on DHS operations and highlights the deep partisan divide over immigration policy within the funding process. The House's insistence on attaching conservative border security priorities sets the stage for a high-stakes legislative confrontation, with the agency's funding and operational continuity hanging in the balance. The outcome will test Speaker Johnson's control over his conference and the Senate's willingness to negotiate under the threat of a prolonged shutdown.