Republican leaders Thune and Johnson push 2-track DHS plan as TSA shutdown pressure mounts

WASHINGTON, DC: A new Republican strategy to resolve the Department of Homeland Security funding standoff is taking shape, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson laying out a dual-path approach aimed at easing immediate disruptions while deferring the most contentious immigration battles.

The plan, released via a joint statement on Wednesday, April 1, comes as airport chaos linked to the TSA shutdown intensifies and lawmakers scramble for a way forward.

John Thune and Mike Johnson spell out 'two parallel tracks'

At the center of the proposal is a clear sequencing strategy, and the Republican leaders made that explicit in their joint statement.

“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,” the statement read.

The idea is to quickly restore funding for most DHS operations, including airport security, while isolating Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection into a second, separate legislative push.

That second track would rely on budget reconciliation - a maneuver that allows Republicans to bypass the Senate filibuster and pass funding with a simple majority, avoiding Democratic resistance tied to immigration policy demands.

The renewed push follows a messy breakdown in negotiations last week, when House Republicans rejected a Senate compromise that would have funded most of DHS while leaving immigration enforcement unresolved.

Instead, Johnson advanced a temporary funding extension - a move that kept the government partially afloat but failed to end the shutdown, which has now dragged on for weeks.

The consequences have been most visible at airports. With TSA workers going unpaid, staffing shortages have led to long lines and operational strain at a time when travel demand is climbing ahead of major holidays.

Trump backs strategy and blasts Democrats

President Donald Trump has thrown his full support behind the two-track plan, signaling that Republicans should move ahead without waiting for bipartisan agreement.

In a sharply worded post, he said, “We are going forward to fund our incredible ICE Agents and Border Patrol through a process that doesn’t need Radical Left Democrat votes, and bypasses the Senate Filibuster (which should be repealed, IMMEDIATELY!)…”

He added, “We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE Agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us.”

At the same time, temporary relief has come through executive action, with with funds redirected to ensure TSA workers continue receiving paychecks, helping stabilize airport operations for now.

Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, have blamed Republicans for prolonging the crisis, arguing that internal GOP divisions derailed a workable deal.