The Department of Homeland Security funding impasse, now approaching 50 days, moved closer to resolution Thursday after the Senate advanced a measure to fund most of the agency. The Senate approved the proposal by voice vote, sending a bipartisan agreement to the House that would fund DHS operations while excluding immigration enforcement and border security initiatives tied to Donald Trump’s agenda.
The House is not expected to take up the legislation until lawmakers return to Washington on April 13, Fox News reported.
The Senate vote follows Republican leaders backing a two-track approach to funding the Department of Homeland Security, with President Donald Trump urging lawmakers to resolve the prolonged funding lapse.
Under the Senate measure, lawmakers advanced a bipartisan effort to fund most DHS operations, while excluding funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and much of the Border Patrol. The proposal includes $11 billion for customs-related operations, but does not provide funding for ICE under the current framework.
Republicans have said they plan to address funding for ICE and the Border Patrol separately through a budget reconciliation package that would not require Democratic support. Trump has indicated he wants that legislation finalized and delivered to his desk by June 1, Fox 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,” Trump wrote Wednesday on his Truth Social platform.
The Senate’s passage of the bill marked a familiar moment for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who had previously helped guide the same measure through the chamber.
However, House Republican leaders rejected the proposal, calling it a “crap sandwich” for its exclusion of funding for immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE and Customs and Border Protection. They instead advanced an alternative plan, which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it was “dead on arrival” in the upper chamber.
Thune expressed optimism shortly after the vote, stating that he hoped the House would quickly advance the bill, with the next step being budget reconciliation. However, he placed the blame for Congress’s current situation on Senate Democrats rather than on the infighting among Republicans at the finish line.
“I think this whole where we are is just a regrettable place. We have the Democrats who are holding the appropriations process hostage and their anti-law enforcement, open borders, defund the police wing is the ascendant wing,” Thune said. “And there, I think everybody’s afraid of them, and so we’re stuck in a spot that’s just not good for the country, the future of the appropriations process, or, for that matter, the future of the Senate.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., seemed to give in on Wednesday after Trump released a
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The House is expected to take up the measure for a vote in the coming days.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey was hospitalized Tuesday after undergoing a minor procedure to remove fluid pressing against her lung. Her office said the procedure was performed after she reported discomfort and shortness of breath.
Ivey, 81, is being monitored at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery as a precaution, according to a spokesperson. Officials said the situation was not considered an emergency, Fox News reported.
The issue was discovered after Ivey sought medical attention for discomfort on her left side. Her office said she had been experiencing symptoms for several weeks.
“For the last three weeks, Governor Kay Ivey has experienced some discomfort in her left side,” her office said. “After monitoring the pain and recently feeling slightly short-of-breath, she made the decision to be seen again by her primary care physician.”
Officials said Ivey chose to move forward with the procedure quickly so she could recover before the legislative session concludes. Her office said the goal is for her to return to full health as soon as possible.
“While it was not emergent, Governor Ivey wanted to get the procedure done as soon as possible so she can quickly get back to 100% to wrap up the 2026 Regular Session,” the statement said. Her office did not provide a timeline for her discharge.
A spokesperson said Ivey remains in contact with her staff and is focused on recovery. “We are in touch with Governor Ivey, and she says she is determined to make a very speedy and full recovery,” the spokesperson said.
Officials from Alabama and other states expressed support following the announcement. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he was grateful Ivey was receiving care.
“She is in good hands, and I join so many Alabamians in praying for her swift and full recovery,” Marshall said. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also said he and his family were praying for Ivey.
“She has always been a fighter and we know she’ll fight through this too,” Kemp said. Messages of support continued from officials across the region.
Ivey previously announced in 2019 that she was undergoing radiation treatment for lung cancer. Her office said in 2020 that the treatment was successful and that she was free of the disease.
Ivey is term-limited and cannot seek re-election this year. Her office has not indicated any changes to her official schedule beyond her recovery period. Ivey’s office has promised to provide timely updates on her recovery.
statement advocating for a resolution to the shutdown that appeared to align with Thune’s proposed two-part strategy for funding the department, said Fox.
As the DHS shutdown continues, Trump and congressional Republicans are betting that budget reconciliation will be the key to funding immigration enforcement for the coming years. Some members of the GOP have even suggested providing funding for ICE not only during Trump’s presidency but potentially for up to a decade.
Last year, the Republican Party employed the same process to allocate $75 billion for ICE enforcement operations over the next four fiscal years. However, the party-line approach comes with several challenges that could strain Republican unity as an election year approaches.
Republican lawmakers will need to identify spending offsets to advance the proposed funding plan, a process that has previously exposed divisions within the party.
During passage of major legislation in July 2025, Republicans faced internal disagreements over proposed reductions to federal programs such as Medicaid and food assistance, nearly complicating final approval.
Some GOP lawmakers have expressed concern about maintaining unity this time, noting the absence of an immediate deadline comparable to the expiration of earlier tax provisions that helped drive consensus during previous negotiations, noted Fox.
