The current partial budget paralysis is forcing thousands of airport security agents to work without pay since mid-February.
Republican lawmakers announced on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement to end the partial budget paralysis in the United States and fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after days of chaos in the country’s airports. Led by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, this agreement will restore funding for most of the department’s services while deferring the most contentious immigration-related expenses to a separate bill.
This marks a significant shift for conservative House members who had rejected a similar proposal supported by the Senate just days ago. They revisited it under pressure from Donald Trump. The DHS is expected to be funded until the end of the fiscal year, while agencies implementing Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policy – notably ICE – will rely on funds approved last year.
By adopting this dual approach, Republican Congress will fully reopen the department and ensure that all federal employees are paid, expressed Mike Johnson and John Thune in a joint statement. The compromise could pave the way for a vote as early as Thursday. The text could be adopted in largely procedural sessions if no lawmaker objects. The current partial budget paralysis is forcing thousands of airport security agents to work without pay since mid-February. Democrats opposed funding for the DHS and its immigration police (ICE) after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January, two Americans killed by federal agents in Minneapolis during protests against the government’s anti-immigration policy.
