Measure that would fund homeland security but exclude money for ICE could conclude lengthy funding lapseAn end to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be in sight, after Congressβs Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed to advance legislation that would fund the majority of the agencyβs operations, with the exception of those involved in immigration enforcement.The pact may conclude the longest such funding lapse in US history, which last month caused security lines to stretch for hours at some airports as employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a subagency of DHS, quit their jobs or called out of work after going weeks without pay. Continue reading...
β’ President Trump is pressing Congress to cut short its two-week recess and return to fund the Department of Homeland Security, now over 40 days into the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history.
β’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump offered to host a big Easter dinner if lawmakers return to fight Democrats on the issue.
β’ The House passed a bill to fund DHS through May 22, but top Democrats called it 'dead on arrival' in the Senate; Senate partially funded DHS except ICE and border protection last Friday.
Trump has ordered pay be restored to TSA employees but it is unclear where money will come from and whether he has such legal powersHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Airports continue to warn passengers to arrive several hours early due to unpredictable Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times, as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became the longest shutdown in US history.A generational divide over the Iran war has emerged between older attendees and their political heirs at this yearβs Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas, as the groupβs leaders pleaded for unity ahead of a challenging midterm election year for Republicans. More here.Iran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks, as the war that has killed thousands of people and caused the biggest ever disruption to global energy supplies entered its second month. More here.US lawmakers have responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of entering a more dangerous phase. More here.The abortion rate is holding steady in the US despite total and partial bans in some states β largely because of travel across state lines and a significant increase in telehealth appointments, a new report says. More here.Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have βhands full of bloodβ, in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration. The pontiff made the comments on Sunday as thousands of US troops arrived in the Middle East.More than 8 million people protested against the Trump administration at more than 3,300 No Kings events across the US and in more than a dozen countries on Saturday, according to organizers. Continue reading...
If the now-six-week partial shutdown continues after the weekend, it will become the longest of any shutdownThe shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the fourth largest agency in the US government, became the longest partial shutdown in US history on Sunday.If the now-six-week partial shutdown continues after the weekend, it will also become the longest of any shutdown, surpassing the impasse late last year that dragged on for 43 days. Continue reading...
β’ The House passed legislation on Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security for 60 days at current levels through May 22, extending funding for all agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
β’ The measure cleared the House 213β203, with three Democrats voting alongside Republicans, automatically passing once the rule was adopted without a separate floor vote.
β’ Senate Democrats rejected the House GOP proposal as "dead on arrival," having already passed their own bipartisan bill that excluded ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection funding.
β’ The Senate voted early Friday morning to approve a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and portions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ending weeks of stalled negotiations.
β’ Republicans indicated they plan to fund immigration enforcement agencies through a separate reconciliation bill in fiscal 2027, bypassing the normal appropriations process and relying solely on GOP votes.
β’ The Senate-passed measure faces significant obstacles in the House, where hardline conservatives have already signaled opposition, threatening to extend the DHS shutdown beyond its current five-week duration.
β’ House Speaker Mike Johnson agreed with the Freedom Caucus to introduce a 60-day continuing resolution providing full DHS funding for ICE and CBP as a counter-proposal to the Senate-approved legislation.
β’ The Freedom Caucus demanded the inclusion of voter ID requirements, border patrol funding, and resources for investigations into child sex trafficking before supporting any DHS funding measure.
β’ The House proposal would require Senate reconsideration and further extend the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has persisted for more than five weeks, with leadership uncertain whether to attempt passage today.
β’ President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA agents after House Republicans blocked the Senate's funding plan for the agency.
β’ The partial government shutdown has caused widespread disruptions at airports across the country, with long security lines and traveler frustrations continuing nationwide.
β’ The executive action represents an attempt to maintain airport security operations while funding negotiations continue between Congress and the White House.
Bill passes by 213 to 203 votes in move prolonging weeks-long budget standoff that has disrupted travelUS House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security and instead passed their own funding measure late Friday, extending a weeks-long budget standoff that has disrupted travel.The stopgap bill, which proposes funding the DHS in full for eight weeks, passed by 213 to 203 votes after Republicans in the lower chamber refused to take up a Senate-passed deal that excluded money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. Continue reading...