Johnson calls out GOP Senate over "joke" of a DHS plan
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The Bottom Line
House Speaker Johnson rejects Senate GOP plan to fund DHS, calling it a 'joke' and signaling intra-Republican conflict.
How This Affects You
Continued disagreement over DHS funding prolongs the partial government shutdown, potentially delaying federal services and employee payments.
AI Summary
House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected Senate Majority Leader John Thune's two-step plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security and then ICE separately, calling it "a joke" during a Friday afternoon clash between GOP leaders. Johnson, backed by President Trump, is instead pushing an eight-week DHS funding extension through the House while the Senate is largely empty, after Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA employees by shifting existing funds. House Conference Chair Lisa McClain said Republicans will unite behind Johnson's continuing resolution, though she noted a surprising lack of communication from Senate GOP leadership. The dispute marks a rare public rupture in the first year of Trump's second term, as both chambers had previously worked together on the administration's agenda despite razor-thin margins. The real test looms ahead: a second reconciliation bill where House and Senate must agree on funding and offsets for ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
What's Being Done
Speaker Johnson insists on an eight-week DHS funding plan backed by President Trump as an alternative to the Senate proposal.
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