Senators agreed by unanimous consent early Friday morning to a proposal that funds the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other critical agencies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The late-night Senate deal left out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol after negotiators failed to agree on reforms demanded by Democrats. Senate leaders sent around a hotline request to senators to see if there would be objections to funding the TSA, the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) by unanimous consent. The proposal also included funding for customs officers only at border checkpoints. When it returned without objection, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) moved quickly to unanimously approve the funding that had been stalled for more than 40 days. The sudden action by the Senate raises questions about whether Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) will be able to pass the package today, when both chambers are scheduled to begin an over two-week Easter recess.
But to swiftly pass it in the House, Speaker Johnson needs to overcome procedural hurdles, requiring him to either seek unanimous consent to bring the bill up under a fast-track suspension of the rules process or to look to other avenues. Intense opposition from the Freedom Caucus shuts the door on the simplest path of getting the legislation on the House floor Friday, with members indicating they would block any unanimous consent request to bring up the bill under suspension of the rules. House rules allow the suspension process only from Monday through Wednesday. Another path that Republican leaders could pursue is bringing up the bill in the House Rules Committee with a rule that has same-day authority for the legislation, which would require two-thirds of the House to approve. It is not clear if Democrats would provide the votes needed to clear that threshold.
However, a short time ago, House GOP leaders on a conference call pitched their members on rejecting the Senate deal. The move would amount to a stunning rebuke of the upper chamber by GOP leaders and extend the length of what is already the longest partial government shutdown in history. The House GOP plan would be a short-term funding extension, providing money for the full department for eight weeks. The move will set up a clash with the Senate, which has already left town for their two-week Easter and Passover recess, and will likely prolong the DHS shutdown by at least several more days to a week.
As this plays out, President Donald Trump plans to pay Transportation Security Administration workers who are going without paychecks by using funding from the sweeping legislation he signed last year known as the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), potentially buying some time. The President announced Thursday that he would take executive action to pay the workers and the White House is still working to finalize how to pay the TSA workers on the verge of missing their second full paycheck. Things could change and how soon TSA employees will actually get checks will depend on how quickly the internal review to pay them using funds from the OBBB can work.
This morning the House passed H.R. 7084 – Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026 amending the types of vessels that may enter or operate in navigable waters of the United States or transfer cargo in any port or place under the jurisdiction of the United States by a vote of 247-164.
The Senate will next convene at 3:00 P.M. on Monday, April 13th and following Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and resume consideration of Executive Calendar #672, John Thomas Shepherd, of Arkansas, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Arkansas.
