'A Joke': House Republicans Reject Senate's DHS Funding Deal

TIME
by Connor Greene and Tiago Ventura
March 27, 2026
4 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

House Republicans reject Senate DHS funding bill and extend 42-day government shutdown, leaving TSA workers unpaid while demanding citizenship voting requirements.

How This Affects You

TSA workers continue screening your baggage without pay, causing hours-long airport security lines as the shutdown stretches into its sixth week.

AI Summary

Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed bill Friday that would have funded most of the Department of Homeland Security, calling it "a joke" because it excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection. Johnson instead plans an immediate vote on an eight-week stopgap measure to fund the entire DHS—a move Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said would be "dead on arrival" in the upper chamber due to lack of Democratic support. The rejection extends what is already the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history, now stretching nearly six weeks and leaving TSA employees working without pay, creating hours-long security lines at airports nationwide. House Republicans, led by Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, are demanding the bill include the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, along with full ICE and CBP funding. Trump has not publicly endorsed either the Senate deal or the House alternative, though he said Thursday he would issue an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pay TSA agents immediately.

What's Being Done

Trump said Thursday he would issue an executive order directing Homeland Security to pay TSA agents; House plans immediate vote on eight-week DHS stopgap measure.

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