House Speaker Mike Johnson is hardening his stance on homeland security funding, rejecting any path forward that leaves immigration enforcement agencies without money.
The Louisiana Republican told Fox News on Tuesday that Democrats' proposal to fund the Department of Homeland Security while zeroing out border security and customs enforcement is a non-starter. "We can't do that," Johnson said.
His declaration marks a pivot toward GOP-only solutions as bipartisan talks have stalled for six weeks. Democrats remain unwilling to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Patrol without accompanying immigration reforms, provisions that House hardliners reject.
Johnson is betting the Senate will step up. "The Senate has to do its job and help us on this heavy lift," he told the network.
Trump's Role Complicates the Calculus
President Trump is considering an extraordinary constitutional move to force Congress back next week, according to the New York Post. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have already given ground on ICE funding amid Democratic pressure, and Trump's decision to pay the Transportation Security Administration weakened GOP leverage in negotiations.
The speaker's office acknowledged one persistent threat: a Democratic discharge petition designed to bypass GOP leadership and bring a DHS funding bill to the House floor. Getting 218 signatures would force a vote. While GOP support for such a maneuver appears unlikely at this moment, the slim Republican majority leaves leadership vulnerable.
Rep. David Valadao of California told Axios he doesn't expect any Republicans to sign on, emphasizing that the agency requires full funding.
GOP leaders are also eyeing the budget reconciliation process as a potential workaround to sidestep the Senate's 60-vote threshold. That option comes with a significant drawback: it requires time the party simply doesn't have.
A bipartisan group of moderates is testing alternative ground. Problem Solvers co-chairs Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Tom Suozzi of New York are circulating a proposal to fully fund DHS while imposing immigration reforms, including restrictions on masking practices and new warrant requirements. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said Tuesday he will support the bill.
Johnson has not publicly responded to the Problem Solvers initiative.
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