Handful of Democrats Join House GOP To End DHS Shutdown
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end a weeks-long partial shutdown, with four Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure.
The bill cleared the House by a 221–207 vote, mostly along party lines, and would fund DHS operations through the end of the fiscal year. Most Democratic lawmakers opposed the measure, citing disagreements over immigration enforcement policies and oversight provisions.
The legislation comes amid an ongoing standoff in Congress that has left the department partially shut down for several weeks. Funding lapses have affected several DHS activities, including some training programs and grant funding, though essential personnel such as airport security officers and Coast Guard members have continued working.
The Democrats voting in favor were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, the Washington Times reported.
“But the Senate shot down a similar measure earlier Thursday in a 51-45 procedural vote that fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance it. Only one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, voted with Republicans,” said the outlet.
Supporters of the bill said the measure was necessary to restore full funding for border security, cybersecurity operations, and emergency preparedness programs. Opponents argued that the legislation did not sufficiently address concerns about immigration enforcement practices and oversight of federal agents.
Lawmakers from both parties have continued negotiations as the shutdown dispute remains tied to broader debates over immigration policy and the role of federal enforcement agencies.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been shut down since February 14 when its temporary funding expired. However, agencies under its umbrella, such as FEMA and the TSA, are considered essential, so their employees have been working without pay. Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also under DHS, has furloughed some of its employees.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, Oklahoma Republican, said on the House floor Thursday that the funding is “critical…at such an important time for our country.”
“Shutting down the Department of Homeland Security over [a] partisan fight hasn’t changed the stakes, but maybe knowing how critical it is to keep the homeland safe at this heightened moment, Democrats will side with reason and protecting the nation,” Cole said, per the Times.
“Shutdowns are never the answer. I know my colleagues think that by shutting down the government, they are somehow punishing Donald Trump for winning the election, but President Trump is not the one feeling the pain of the shutdown,” he said.
“They are punishing the TSA agents who are working hard to keep their community safe, they’re punishing FEMA employees who are trying to help Americans fighting through these winter storms, they are punishing the cybersecurity analysts at CISA who are combating constant threats to our infrastructure and electric grid,” he added.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democratic appropriator, called the push for the bill to pass “political theater” and “a cynical attempt to extract more funding for lawless agencies because of a crisis that the president has created without an imminent threat.”
“If Republicans were serious this week we could have funded every agency under the Department of Homeland Security except for ICE and for CBP and I will not vote for another dime for these agencies until we get the reforms that the American people want and stopping these agencies for terrorizing these communities,” she said.
ICE detention and deportation operations under the Trump administration have been generally well-received by the American public, according to surveys.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said during a press gaggle on Wednesday that “everybody in America better watch” to see who votes against the funding.
“Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how to describe it. It speaks to a long record of Democrats’ deliberate efforts to undermine America’s safety and the essential operations of DHS.”
Thune Breaks With Trump, Backs Cornyn After Paxton Endorsement
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he will continue supporting Sen. John Cornyn despite President Donald Trump endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the most closely watched Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle.
Speaking to reporters following Trump’s endorsement announcement, Thune praised Cornyn as “a principled conservative” and an “effective senator” for Texas, signaling a rare split between Senate Republican leadership and the president.
“Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said.
“None of us can control what the president does. That doesn’t change the way I feel. I will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his re-election,” Thune added.
The comments came just hours after Trump formally endorsed Paxton on Truth Social, delivering a major boost to the Texas attorney general as he seeks to unseat Cornyn in the Republican runoff election.
In his endorsement, Trump criticized Cornyn for insufficient loyalty during politically difficult periods of his presidency.
“Ken Paxton has been a warrior for Texas values and for our America First agenda,” Trump wrote. He added that Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
The endorsement immediately intensified an already bitter and nationally significant Republican primary battle that has exposed growing tensions inside the GOP between establishment Senate Republicans and Trump-aligned populists.
Early voting in the runoff began Monday and continues through Friday, with Election Day set for May 26.
Despite the internal divisions, Thune expressed confidence Republicans would retain control of the Senate in November.
“I’m very confident we’ll hang on — and maybe even expand the majority of the United States Senate,” Thune said.
Republicans currently hold a six-seat Senate majority. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to retake control of the chamber.
Several races, including contests in Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina, are currently viewed as highly competitive.
The Texas race has become particularly important because Democrats believe a bruising Republican runoff could weaken the eventual GOP nominee heading into the general election against Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Recent polling has suggested an unusually competitive general election environment in Texas. One survey released Monday reportedly showed both Cornyn and Paxton running roughly even with Talarico in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.
That possibility has alarmed some Republicans, particularly moderates concerned that Paxton’s legal controversies and polarizing political image could jeopardize a seat long considered safely Republican.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski openly criticized Trump’s endorsement Tuesday, warning it could backfire politically.
“I was supremely disappointed,” Murkowski said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”
Paxton has remained a dominant figure among Texas conservatives despite years of legal and political controversies, including securities fraud charges that were later resolved and an impeachment battle in the Texas legislature from which he was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate.
Trump allies have framed the race as a test of loyalty to the president and the broader America First movement, while Cornyn supporters argue the longtime senator offers stability, fundraising strength, and legislative experience critical for maintaining Republican control of the Senate.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has longstanding ties to GOP leadership and donor networks in Washington. But critics on the right have increasingly portrayed him as part of the party establishment out of step with the Republican base.
Paxton has sought to capitalize on that frustration, presenting himself as a fighter aligned more closely with Trump’s populist agenda on immigration, election integrity, and federal power.
The runoff has also become a broader proxy battle over the future direction of Senate Republicans after Trump’s sweeping victories reshaped the party.
