House Republicans passed an eight-week measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday night, rejecting a separate deal that the Republican-led Senate passed earlier in the day. The bill would temporarily fund the entire department, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection.
The House proposal was approved 213-203 along party lines, with three Democrats voting in favor of the measure. Despite the split, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that workers at the TSA would be paid while lawmakers wait for the Senate to take up the House measure.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for the bill, saying he spoke with Johnson about it on Friday afternoon and understands its purpose. The Senate bill would fund all of DHS, except for ICE and parts of CBP, but includes new accountability measures for ICE that Democrats have demanded.
House Republicans have raised concerns that the Senate bill does not include the Save America Act, a sweeping voting bill championed by Trump. They also argue that the bill buys more time to negotiate with Democrats to find a full-year funding solution. The House plans to leave town once it passes the funding extension, but is ready to return if needed.
Democrats have criticized the measure, saying it does not address their concerns about ICE and CBP priorities being funded through other Republican legislation. They argue that the Senate deal would “bring chaos” and need bipartisan support to pass. The proposal now heads to the Senate for consideration, where a vote requires at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
Meanwhile, Trump has expressed ambivalence about reopening DHS earlier this week and has ordered ICE agents to deploy to major airports to manage security lines. However, his efforts have done little to alleviate delays, which have mounted due to staffing problems at TSA.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/27/dhs-funding-house-tsa