Mike Johnson faces a rocky path to funding DHS
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Speaker Johnson speaks to reporters on March 25. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Hardline House conservatives are threatening to sink a Senate-passed DHS funding bill, escalating a standoff that's already kept the agency shut down for more than five weeks.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is staring down a messy path to funding the Department of Homeland Security with no easy off-ramp.
- "It is absolutely offensive to the people that we represent that the Senate would send over a bill that doesn't fund Border Patrol and the four core components of ICE," Freedom Caucus member Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said Friday morning.
- "Could the Senate be any more lazy than to send to us a bill that doesn't do the job and then leave town?" Roy added.
- GOP leadership has not yet said how they plan to proceed, with Johnson telling reporters to "stay tuned."
Catch up quick: Senate voted overnight to pass a bill that would reopen all of the Department of Homeland Security excluding funding for ICE and CBP.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has signaled Republicans plan to address those agencies later through reconciliation, with only GOP votes.
Driving the news: The House Freedom Caucus declared Friday morning that they will not support DHS funding unless they attach legislation to implement voter ID, and funding for border patrol and child sex trafficking investigations, a division within ICE.
- "It's not going to affect the airports if we don't do this today," Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) told reporters.
- Harris argued the Senate could quickly pass a revised House bill when it returns next week for a pro-forma session.
Conservatives are also warning Johnson against bringing the bill up under suspension — a move that would rely on Democratic votes.
- "You're not supposed to bring it by suspension. That's the rule," Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told Axios.
- The members would not discuss possible consequences for the speaker if he goes the suspension route.
The other side: "They're going to threaten [Johnson] on everything, but as long as he's got the jury of one down the street with him," Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) told Axios, referencing President Trump's support of Johnson.
- "Everyone wants everything they want and it's so asinine. The Senate didn't do it. You can solve 80% of the country's problem. They're not thinking about it all," he added.
- Langworthy also said the speaker should take a firmer hand with his hardline members.
State of play: Johnson's options are limited and politically risky.
- The speaker could move to bring the bill up under suspension, but that would require unanimous consent, or waiting until Monday due to House Rules.
- It would also mean the speaker is relying on significant Democratic support, only further angering his right-flank.
- Advancing it through the Rules Committee would require near-unanimous GOP support — which he currently lacks.
