Republican Leaders in Congress at Odds Over Homeland Security Funding Deal

Collapse of Senate-negotiated agreement exposes rare rift between House and Senate GOP leadership.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 7:56pm

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A deal reached by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security collapsed after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., angrily rejected the plan. The breakdown has left Congress in an impasse over the partial government shutdown affecting DHS since mid-February, exposing a rare rupture between the two Republican leaders as they struggle to advance President Trump's priorities.

Why it matters

The failure of the funding deal highlights the deep divisions within the Republican Party in Congress, complicating their efforts to pass key legislation before the November elections. The shutdown also gives Democrats another chance to pin blame on House Republicans for the impasse.

The details

Thune had negotiated for weeks with Democratic senators on their demands for new restrictions on DHS immigration enforcement. The deal he reached would not include funding for ICE and Border Patrol, setting aside Democratic demands. However, when House Republicans learned of the compromise, they swiftly denounced it, with Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., saying the Senate 'chickened out' to go home for a two-week break. An angry Johnson marched out and rebuked the plan as a 'joke,' saying he had to 'protect the House, and I have to protect the American people.'

  • The Senate appeared to reach a deal to fund DHS early Friday morning.
  • The deal collapsed later that afternoon when House Speaker Johnson rejected it.
  • Congress is now on a two-week spring break, leaving the impasse unresolved.

The players

John Thune

The Republican Senate Majority Leader who negotiated the funding deal with Democrats.

Mike Johnson

The Republican House Speaker who angrily rejected the Senate's funding compromise.

Chuck Schumer

The Democratic Senate Minority Leader who was involved in the funding negotiations.

Nick LaLota

A Republican Congressman from New York who criticized the Senate for 'chickening out' on the funding deal.

Katherine Clark

A Democratic Congresswoman from Massachusetts and the No. 2 Democratic leader in the House.

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What they’re saying

“I have to protect the House, and I have to protect the American people.”

— Mike Johnson, House Speaker

“The Senate chickened out. The cowards there, only a few of them in the middle of the night with I think only three to five senators present on the floor, chickened out because they wanted to go home for two weeks. We need to raise the bar.”

— Nick LaLota, Republican Congressman from New York

“They know this is a continuation of the shutdown because the Senate is gone. So they know fully well what they're doing.”

— Katherine Clark, Democratic Congresswoman from Massachusetts

What’s next

It is unclear what the Senate will do next, as negotiations ended acrimoniously on both sides. A quick resumption of talks is unlikely, leaving Congress with no easy way out of the impasse affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

The takeaway

The collapse of the funding deal has exposed a rare rift between the Republican leaders in the House and Senate, complicating their efforts to advance President Trump's priorities and pass key legislation before the November elections. The shutdown also gives Democrats another opportunity to criticize House Republicans for the impasse.