April 2 (UPI) — The Senate sent its bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security back to the House Thursday morning after the president endorsed the bill.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump voiced his support for the bill, which would fund most of DHS but withhold funding for immigration enforcement. He posted on Truth Social that Congress must put a bill on his desk by June 1 to fund the department.
Last week, the Senate passed the funding bill unanimously, but the House rejected it just before leaving for a two-week recess. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called the bill “a joke,” Politico reported. But he has now agreed to support the bill after Trump gave his blessing.
The department has been shut down since Feb. 14 as Democrats and Republicans battle over a funding bill. Democrats don’t want to fund the department without putting some restrictions on ICE enforcement, and Republicans have agreed to some measures but not the Democrats’ most serious requests.
On March 27, Trump ordered DHS to pay Transportation Security Administration workers with other department funds, easing long lines at airports.
The Senate voted for a motion by Republican leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Thursday to set aside the House’s bill, which would have given funding to the entire DHS for eight weeks. Johnson has said he supports the Senate’s bill but could struggle to get it passed. Hardline Republicans in the House could tank it.
The House will gather for a brief session Thursday morning, but it’s not clear when a vote will happen. If the bill doesn’t pass, it could be put on hold until April 14, when the recess ends.