US Homeland Security funding bill faces uncertain future in Congress

US Government Shutdown Enters Seventh Week as Funding Bill Fails to Pass in House

A partial government shutdown in the United States is expected to continue, with no end in sight, as the House of Representatives failed to take up a funding bill passed by the Senate. The Senate had approved a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday, but the House did not bring it to a vote.

The stalemate centers on whether DHS should reform its immigration procedures. Democrats have refused to pass funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without reforms to their practices. Republicans have called the Democrats’ demands non-starters.

As a result, several departments within DHS are operating with reduced staff, including Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which has been affected by the shutdown. TSA agents have gone without pay for six weeks, leading to long lines and travel delays at airports.

The Senate bill would finance TSA and other arms of DHS but not provide further funding to ICE or CBP. However, House Republicans refused to bring the bill to a vote despite joint announcements from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday to fully fund DHS.

President Trump has endorsed this plan, stating that he will sign an executive order to pay all DHS employees. He also wrote on Truth Social that Democrats are pursuing a “Radical Left Policy” in their opposition to funding ICE and CBP.

The White House has not clarified which funding would be diverted to pay TSA agents, but it is expected to come from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Government shutdowns remain unpopular in the US, with unions and transportation safety groups criticizing the strain on workers and airport security.

Public opinion polls have shown a surge in disapproval for Trump’s immigration policies following recent incidents, including the killing of two US citizens by federal agents in Minnesota in January. Democrats are seeking to leverage the funding bill as a means of pressing for changes to Trump’s immigration policy.

Source: Al Jazeera