Rep. Fedorchak Backs Speaker Johnson in Rejecting Senate Bill to End Homeland Security Shutdown

North Dakota Congresswoman says Democrats' refusal to fund Border Patrol and ICE is putting national security at risk

Apr. 1, 2026 at 1:23am

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North Dakota Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak has voiced her support for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson's decision to reject a Senate-passed bill that would have partially funded the Department of Homeland Security during the agency's ongoing shutdown. Fedorchak argues that the bill, which did not include any funding for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), would compromise national security efforts.

Why it matters

The partial government shutdown over DHS funding has become a partisan standoff, with Democrats opposing additional funding for agencies like ICE following controversial incidents involving federal agents. Fedorchak's stance aligns with the Republican position of maintaining full funding for border security and immigration enforcement as part of broader homeland security efforts.

The details

The Senate-passed bill would have funded most of DHS, but excluded any money for Border Patrol and ICE. Fedorchak says Republicans 'aren't willing to sacrifice that very strategic national security' by accepting the Senate bill. She also notes that Congress previously provided a significant funding increase for ICE as part of the One Big Beautiful Act last year.

  • The House passed a continuing resolution to fund DHS for 60 days.
  • Congress is currently on a two-week recess, which Fedorchak says should not have happened without a deal to end the partial government shutdown.

The players

Rep. Julie Fedorchak

A Republican Congresswoman from North Dakota who has voiced her support for Speaker Johnson's rejection of the Senate bill to partially fund DHS.

Speaker Mike Johnson

The Republican Speaker of the House who has rejected the Senate bill to partially fund DHS during the ongoing shutdown.

President Donald Trump

The President who signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Agency employees who worked without a paycheck for a month during the partial government shutdown.

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What they’re saying

“We just aren't willing to sacrifice that very strategic national security for our country and for those agencies and for the people that work there.”

— Rep. Julie Fedorchak, Congresswoman

What’s next

The House is currently on a two-week recess, and Fedorchak says that should not have happened without a deal to end the partial government shutdown over DHS funding.

The takeaway

The ongoing partial government shutdown over DHS funding has become a partisan standoff, with Republicans insisting on full funding for border security and immigration enforcement agencies like ICE, while Democrats oppose additional funding for these agencies following controversial incidents. This impasse has led to the rejection of a Senate bill that would have partially funded DHS, underscoring the challenges in resolving the shutdown.