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Border Security · DHS Funding · Executive Order · Government Shutdown
House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, prolonging a six-week shutdown, while President Trump bypassed Congress with an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration agents, ending weeks of airport chaos.
House Speaker Mike Johnson cited the Senate bill's failure to fund federal immigration enforcement and its potential to defang Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations, a concern echoed by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain. President Trump supported Johnson's decision, and a DHS spokesperson confirmed TSA officers would receive paychecks as early as Monday, March 30.
The Senate measure would have funded most DHS agencies but excluded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. While Senate Republicans hoped for a second reconciliation bill to fund these agencies, McClain dismissed this as too risky, citing no guarantees for border security.
Senate Democrats had previously held up funding for 42 days in protest of ICE and CBP-involved fatal shootings.
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House Rejects DHS Bill; Trump Pays TSA(current)