House Speaker Johnson rejects Senate DHS funding deal, handing Dems midterm advantage

Johnson's move to keep ICE and CBP funding intact may backfire as Republicans are blamed for airport chaos

Mar. 30, 2026 at 11:27am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) bucked his Senate GOP colleagues last week by rejecting a bipartisan bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), instead putting forward an alternative that would keep funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intact. This move, according to a Washington Post analysis, may have handed Democrats a powerful weapon to blame Republicans for the ongoing partial government shutdown and airport delays ahead of the midterm elections.

Why it matters

Johnson's decision to reject the Senate's unanimous DHS funding deal puts House Republicans at odds with their Senate counterparts, giving Democrats an opportunity to portray the GOP as unwilling to compromise and responsible for the ongoing chaos at airports nationwide. This could prove pivotal in the upcoming midterm elections, where Democrats are hoping to make gains.

The details

Last week, the Senate unanimously approved a bill to fund all DHS agencies except for ICE and CBP. This gave House lawmakers a chance to quickly pass the bill and end the partial government shutdown. However, Johnson rejected that deal and instead put forward an alternative that would keep ICE and CBP funding intact, a move that the Washington Post analysis says has 'twisted' Johnson into a 'pretzel' and handed Democrats a 'significantly larger cudgel to use in blaming them for the shutdown.'

  • Last week, the Senate unanimously approved a bill to fund DHS agencies except for ICE and CBP.
  • Johnson rejected the Senate's DHS funding deal.

The players

Mike Johnson

Republican Congressman from Louisiana who currently serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

House Freedom Caucus

The most conservative wing of the Republican party in the House of Representatives, which was in 'outright revolt' against Johnson's potential compromise with Democrats.

Kevin McCarthy

Former Republican Speaker of the House who lost his job after asking Democrats for help to pass a stopgap funding bill.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“They are trying to get everything they want. If they block this, Republicans in the House now are going to be the ones who own the blame for [Transportation Security Administration] workers and the delays at the airports.”

— Ari Fleischer, GOP operative and former White House press secretary

What’s next

The House will now have to decide whether to pass the Senate's DHS funding bill or Johnson's alternative proposal. This decision could have major political implications ahead of the midterm elections.

The takeaway

Johnson's rejection of the bipartisan Senate DHS funding deal may have handed Democrats a powerful political weapon to blame Republicans for the ongoing government shutdown and airport chaos in the lead-up to the midterm elections. This move puts House GOP members at odds with their Senate colleagues and could prove pivotal in determining control of Congress.