President Donald Trump and GOP leaders united behind a plan Wednesday to end the record-breaking partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, committing themselves to a two-track strategy that includes passing a reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement funding by June 1. With the shutdown stretching into its seventh week and pressure growing to pay DHS workers, Trump rallied behind a Senate plan that envisioned passing a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill to provide immigration enforcement funding that Democrats have rejected. The move could convince House Republicans to revisit a Senate-passed proposal that would fund all of the department except for the two immigration agencies at the heart of the conflict: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, and Customs and Border Protection, which is home to the Border Patrol. That plan, which the House set aside in favor of an eight-week funding extension, could gain new life with the assurance that more money for immigration enforcement would be coming through reconciliation. Trump announced in a statement on his Truth Social platform that the administration would work in “close conjunction” with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bypass Democratic opposition and approve the immigration funding package through reconciliation. “I am asking that the bill be on my desk NO LATER than June 1st,” Trump wrote, while also pointing to the coming midterm elections: “Our Law Enforcement Officers and the American People should not have to wait until the Democrats see reason or, learn the hard way through the Polls.” The president added that the administration would continue to draw from funds approved in last year's "big, beautiful" reconciliation law to "ensure that ICE and Border Patrol Agents are paid ON TIME, and IN FULL." Within hours of Trump's announcement, Thune and Johnson issued a rare joint statement fully endorsing the effort. “In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks: through the appropriations process and through the reconciliation process," they said. "In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited," they added. Divided no more The joint statement marked a striking turnaround from last week, when the two GOP leaders pushed competing plans for ending the shutdown that resulted in gridlock. Johnson had dismissed the Senate's bill, largely engineered by Thune, as a "gambit" and a "joke," while pushing for a simple eight-week funding extension for the beleaguered department. House Republicans had publicly mocked the idea of relying on a future reconciliation bill to provide immigration funding they wanted to see included immediately. "We don't operate on hope," House Rules Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said at a hearing. "We operate on process, deliberation and action." But Trump's new endorsement of the plan, along with Johnson's, appeared likely to bring House Republicans on board. Trump's statement also marked a departure from the president's past hesitation to get behind a second party-line reconciliation package. For months, Trump had insisted that no new major legislation would be necessary after the passage of his "big, beautiful bill." More Republicans have warmed to the idea of a second reconciliation package, but there is still skepticism in the party about the chances of clearing another megabill, particularly given the slim margins in the House and the fast-approaching midterm elections. House Budget Chairman Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, said in late March that Republicans would need to have the package “in play over the next 60 days,” arguing it will be harder for the party to coalesce behind such a plan the closer lawmakers get to November. Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has long pushed for a reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement and defense, quickly endorsed Trump's new deadline in a statement he issued Wednesday. “Mr. President, as Senate Budget Committee Chairman, I will work with my fellow Republican committee members to meet your request to have reconciliation done by June 1, fully funding ICE and Border Patrol." But a June 1 deadline means Congress has less than two months to complete the time-consuming, cumbersome reconciliation process, which requires adopting a joint budget resolution and instructing authorizing committees to draft various portions of a reconciliation bill. Last year's process took roughly five months to complete, although this year's version is likely to be much smaller in scale. Another reconciliation effort could still open the floodgates for additional proposals and priorities, even as some lawmakers call for a narrow package to ease the passage process. Supplemental funding for the war in Iran, tax policies and demands for spending cuts could all be among the options discussed for inclusion in the bill. Both chambers are in recess through next week, with the Senate set to return on April 13 and the House back starting April 14, leaving just five weeks of scheduled legislative session before Trump’s June 1 deadline. During that time, lawmakers will also have to contend with pressing matters like the start of the fiscal 2027 budget season after the Trump administration’s expected budget release on Friday, as well as any potential supplemental defense funding related to the war in Iran, if that’s not included in a reconciliation package. John T. Bennett contributed to this report.
