House GOP blocks DHS funding vote, risks new paycheck delays

House Speaker Mike Johnson is demanding changes to a Senate-passed Homeland Security funding bill, blocking a floor vote and risking another round of missed paychecks for federal employees just as emergency funds are set to run dry. The funding standoff, which began in mid-February, has already wreaked havoc on airport security and threatens critical federal agencies heading into the summer travel season and FIFA World Cup.

According to reporting from the Nebraska Examiner, Johnson said the Senate-passed bill contains "problematic language" because it was "haphazardly drafted," even as he has not negotiated directly with Senate Democrats about potential modifications. The Senate unanimously passed the measure in late March and again in early April, funding most of the Department of Homeland Security except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

The standoff has already inflicted substantial damage. When TSA officers went without pay in March, massive backups clogged airport security checkpoints across the country. The administration intervened by reprogramming funds through an emergency executive order, but Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that emergency money will "dry up" by the first week of May. With payroll exceeding $1.6 billion every two weeks, time is rapidly running out.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer denounced Johnson's position, saying the bill doesn't "need tweaks" and calling it "absurd" to hold up national security for technical changes. Sen. Patty Murray, ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said she was "flabbergasted" and has "no idea what technical changes they're looking at."

The political blame game reflects a deeper divide among Republicans themselves. Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed willingness to work with House GOP leaders on minor technical fixes but suggested anything beyond that could derail the bill. The House and Senate will recess for a week on Thursday, further delaying action.

Republicans plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through a separate $70 billion budget reconciliation bill, but Johnson has insisted on controlling the "sequencing" of when bills become law—a position that has frustrated his Senate counterparts. Congressional negotiations over immigration enforcement guardrails have stalled the process since February, when two deaths involving CBP agents prompted Democratic demands for reforms.

The prolonged shutdown has taken a toll beyond airport delays. More than 1,000 TSA officers have quit, and the agency cannot invest in next-generation screening technology. FEMA has suspended non-disaster response and postponed emergency training indefinitely. The Coast Guard faces unpaid utilities and vendors threatening to cut power to stations.