A grueling 39-day partial government shutdown may finally be nearing its end following a high-stakes Monday night meeting at the White House. Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump have pivoted toward a new strategy to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), potentially breaking a long-standing stalemate that has left thousands of federal workers in limbo.
The proposed plan involves a “split” funding approach. Congress would pass a standard bill to fund almost all DHS agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, and FEMA.
However, it would carve out the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, moving its funding into a separate reconciliation bill later this spring. This is a notable shift for the President, who had reportedly rejected a similar framework just 24 hours earlier.
By Tuesday morning, the White House’s tone shifted, with one official telling Politico that the deal “seems to be an acceptable solution.”
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The heavy lifting is being led by a small group of Republican Senators, including Katie Britt, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Moreno, and Steve Daines. Britt remained at the Capitol through Monday night to hammer out legislative text, though the details remain in flux.
While the deal would include Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the main funding bill—a win for Republicans—the path forward for ICE is complicated. President Trump is insisting that the SAVE America Act be bundled into the ICE reconciliation package.
This strategy has already hit a wall with the House Freedom Caucus (HFC). The group has dismissed the plan as “failure theater” and “gaslighting,” arguing that the reconciliation process is an unnecessary detour. Unlike a standard bill, reconciliation only requires 51 votes but triggers a grueling, fast-paced amendment process known as a “vote-a-rama.”
Even if the deal holds, the government won’t be fully operational overnight. Senator James Lankford cautioned that the timeline for a final package could stretch well into May, as the formal process wouldn’t even begin until after the Easter recess ends on April 12.
“We ought to be able to enact some reforms to give the Treasury more power,” Senator Ron Johnson added, suggesting that the bill should include measures to claw back roughly $200 billion by targeting state-level fraud.
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The proposal also faces stiff headwinds from both sides of the aisle. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed cautious interest but signaled that Democrats would still push for specific reforms within ICE. On the Republican side, the skepticism is just as sharp.
Senator Rick Scott labeled the reliance on a reconciliation package a “pipe dream,” while Senator Susan Collins of Maine told reporters she simply doesn’t think it is a “good approach.”
Beyond border security, the reconciliation bill could also serve as a vehicle for voter ID incentives and supplemental funding for the ongoing conflict in Iran, though those additions remain speculative. For now, the focus remains on whether this legislative gamble can actually reopen the doors of the DHS before the two-week recess begins.
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