'Trouble in Paradise': GOP Plan to Reopen DHS Is Looking a Little Shaky

I should’ve clarified something yesterday: there is a deal to end the Democrat-induced shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. That doesn’t mean it will be smooth. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson announced yesterday that the Senate’s initial bill, to fund the agency except for ICE and Border Patrol, will be passed first. ICE and CBP would be funded later through a new reconciliation package, which will include funding for three years, with none of the concessions Democrats want regarding de-masking of agents and judicial warrants.

Democrats halted those talks when they reversed their stance on funding: they wanted a bill that funds DHS, excluding ICE and CBP. Then they backed out at the last minute as the deadline neared. The voice vote and the decision to avoid the Capitol before the Easter recess, which delayed House Republicans who weren’t even consulted about this move, still has House conservatives angry.

Furthermore, this new effort seems to face the same number of obstacles, if not more. There aren’t seven Democrat votes needed to pass the House’s 60-day continuing resolution; we already knew that. Will they return during recess? There’s growing pressure for them to do so, and they should. This shutdown is absurd, worsened by the Republicans engaging in both an institutional rivalry and an intraparty feud, but at least we have a rough plan. Whether people will support it remains uncertain, but for now, this might be the only option.

Trouble in paradise: The House acknowledged the Senate sent back a bill funding DHS except for ICE and CBP this morning — and that’s it.

The House doesn’t have the support to unanimously approve the bill, despite Trump’s support, and the opposition isn’t coming from Democrats…
— Marianna Sotomayor (@MariannaReports) April 2, 2026

DHS SHUTDOWN latest.

Thread. Have a good number of Senate Republicans sources pushing back against the deal that passed unanimously (no objections) overnight into Friday.

Here is one public example… https://t.co/D52sOK6KWo
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 30, 2026

I am told Thune alerted all Senate Rs to the plan around 8pm Thursday.

Text was shared later in the night, but was legislative version of the same plan. They ran a hotline, members reviewed the plan and as we saw, no one objected.

Checking w others as well.

2/
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 30, 2026

🚨 BREAKING: The Senate just gaveled in and Leader John Thune has SENT BACK the bill to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP to the House

Now the House must past the Senate bill — the same one passed initially — and send it to President Trump

Reconciliation, which only needs 50+1… pic.twitter.com/ECtGLn3Ory
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 2, 2026

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