Republicans on Capitol Hill are feeling immense pressure about the week ahead.
In the spotlight is an effort to end the stand-off over Department of Homeland Security funding, as the partial government shutdown continues into its third month.
GOP leadership aides who spoke to CNN noted that DHS funding isn’t the only measure that doesn’t have the necessary votes right now; others that are up in the air include the question of a FISA extension that some in the party oppose on privacy grounds, and a farm bill that many in the Make America Healthy Again movement oppose.
“We’ve got a nightmare week,” one aide told CNN.
The shutdown, which is the result of Democrats insisting on reforms to ICE and CBP before they will agree to fund DHS, began on Feb. 14 and is now on its 73rd day. Newly installed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said that the department will run out of money to pay employees’ salaries the first week of May.
On Monday, President Donald Trump posted a message to Truth Social, urging Republicans to work together to bypass Senate Democrats and fund DHS.
“The Radical Left Democrats have kept DHS shut down since February 14th,” the 79-year-old wrote. “Our Great Speaker, Mike Johnson, is working hard to end the Democrat Shut Down, and pass the first step of a plan to get FULL FUNDING for our incredible ICE and Border Patrol Agents.”
“We need all Republicans to join together and support this Budget Blueprint, which will allow us to bypass Democrat obstruction in the Senate, and fund Immigration Enforcement with only Republican Votes,” he continued.
“The Senate passed this Blueprint last week on Thursday morning, and now, House Republicans must UNIFY, and pass the same Blueprint to get the Bill done. I’ve asked for the final Bill on my desk by June 1st, and we can make that deadline if we keep to the plan, FAST and FOCUSED. Let’s take care of our Great Agents of Law Enforcement.”
Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly stressed the importance of ending the shutdown and approving DHS funding, but has refused to endorse a Senate-approved measure that would fund much of DHS, arguing that it had “problematic language” and was “haphazardly drafted.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said that he is willing to work with his fellow Republicans in the House on changes to the bill, but that anything beyond a technical fix would be “a real problem.”
Secretary Mullin has reportedly said that there could be “serious consequences” if the House doesn’t secure funding for DHS soon, according to a republican who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity.
The 48-year-old has made multiple media appearances since his appointment to highlight the severity of the problem, explaining that salaries have thus far been paid out of funds allocated by Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, but that they will soon run out of money.
“I’ve got one payroll left and there is no more emergency funds, so the president can’t do another executive order because there’s no more money there,” he told Fox & Friends last week.
As the president’s Truth Social post demonstrates, GOP leadership is pressuring holdouts to vote to fund the department, with some in the House feeling that the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and White House warnings about national security would push them over the line.
“They’ve got some issues getting the votes in the Senate resolution … since it’s limited to ICE and CBP,” an anonymous source close to the White House told Politico. “The admin is just trying to wrangle some votes.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
