Senate to Vote on Homeland Security Funding Bill

House and Senate leaders announce plan to end longest partial government shutdown

Apr. 2, 2026 at 2:25pm

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The Senate is expected to quickly pass a measure on Thursday that would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, though it's unclear how soon the House will follow to largely end the longest partial government shutdown in history. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a plan to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security as part of a two-step process, putting the leaders on the same page for ending the impasse after they pursued separate plans that resulted in Congress leaving Washington last week without a fix.

Why it matters

The DHS shutdown has lasted 47 days, causing frustrating security lines at some of the nation's biggest airports as Transportation Security Administration agents have been going without pay. Ending the partial government shutdown is crucial for restoring normal government operations and services.

The details

The Senate plan would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, with the exception of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. Republicans would then try later to fund those agencies on their own through party-line spending legislation. Neither outcome is guaranteed, and the strategy could potentially still face opposition from the GOP's own ranks even though President Donald Trump has given his support.

  • The Senate is expected to try quickly passing the measure on Thursday.
  • The House is expected to follow soon after to largely end the longest partial government shutdown in history.
  • The narrow budget package that Trump wants prepared for later this year is expected to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump's term.

The players

Mike Johnson

House Speaker

John Thune

Senate Majority Leader

Chuck Schumer

Senate Democratic leader

Scott Perry

Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania

Hakeem Jeffries

House Democratic leader

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What they’re saying

“'We appreciate and share the President's determination to once and for all bring an end to the Democrat DHS shutdown.'”

— Mike Johnson and John Thune, House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader

“'Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction.'”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic leader

“'Let's make this simple: caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders wide open again. If that's the vote, I'm a NO.'”

— Scott Perry, Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania

“'It's time to pay TSA agents, end the airport chaos and fully fund every part of the Department of Homeland Security that does not relate to Donald Trump's violent mass deportation machine.'”

— Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic leader

What’s next

The Senate meets for an early pro-forma session on Thursday, where they could take up the measure they passed just last week through a unanimous consent request. The Senate's action would then send the bill back to the House, which is also holding a pro-forma session later in the morning.

The takeaway

This bipartisan agreement to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security represents a step forward in ending the longest partial government shutdown in history, though challenges remain in fully resolving the impasse over immigration enforcement funding.