Fate of Senate funding deal looks uncertain as DHS shutdown grinds on

GOP Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday that House Republicans could come around to supporting a bill to fund most of DHS if it has the president's backing.

Cole said "it's really hard to say" if House Republicans would be supportive of legislation that withholds part of ICE funds while funding the remainder of the department. 

"I think a lot of our people feel like they're giving in to blackmail, and in a sense we are," Cole said. 

"On the other hand, if the president of the United States thought it was acceptable, he's the chief executive officer, I think that would count for a lot with Republicans. So it's hard to speculate on exactly what would happen. And I suspect if the president comes to a deal, though, it could pass the House," he said. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, reiterated Wednesday that "I don't think we need to be breaking it apart."

TSA official Ha Nguyen McNeill delivers an opening statement at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 2026. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Ha Nguyen McNeill, the top official at the TSA, is testifying about the dire air travel situation before the House Homeland Security Committee, where she is calling on Congress to fund DHS and "ensure this never happens again."

McNeill said the TSA has already lost more than 480 transportation security officers during this shutdown, while callout rates have accelerated. At some airports, 40 to 50% of their workforce is calling out of work on certain days, she said. 

"This has led to the highest wait times in TSA history, with some wait times greater than four and a half hours," McNeill said. "We are being forced to consolidate lanes and may have to close smaller airports if we do not have enough officers. It is a fluid, challenging and unpredictable situation."

McNeill said they have also seen a more than 500% increase in the frequency of assaults on TSA officers since the shutdown began. 

The TSA official said if the agency remains shut down on Friday, "we will have reached nearly $1 billion in missed paychecks." 

"This level of disruption is unprecedented and unacceptable and significantly undermines the security of U.S. transportation systems," she added.

McNeill said many in TSA's workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had cars repossessed or utilities shut off. 

"Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet," she said. "All while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public."

Early this week, Senate Republicans and the president appeared to be edging closer to a framework for ending the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which is now in its second month — but a breakthrough has remained out of reach.

CBS News contacted all 532 House and Senate offices (there are three House vacancies) about the DHS funding impasse and asked what lawmakers are doing to end the shutdown.

How would they restore DHS funding? What's their message to Americans waiting in hourslong airport security lines? And what do they have to say to unpaid TSA workers who are about to miss their second full paycheck Friday?

Read what they said here.

President Trump's stance on any eventual agreement is coloring negotiations on Capitol Hill. So far, the president has been less than enthusiastic about cutting a deal with Democrats.

Asked by CBS News about the emerging deal on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Trump said, "I don't want to comment until I see the deal, but as you know they're negotiating a deal."

"I guess they're getting fairly close. But I think any deal they make, I'm pretty much not happy with it," Mr. Trump said. 

The comments came after the president met with a small group of Senate Republicans at the White House on Monday night. Earlier in the day, the president had urged Republicans not to make a deal with Democrats, while putting the focus on passing the SAVE America Act. But senators left the meeting touting a path forward that they indicated had the president's support, which includes using reconciliation to pass ICE funding and portions of the SAVE America Act.  

Sen. Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, announced that Senate Republicans will "expeditiously move toward creating a second budget reconciliation bill."

Part of the GOP plan to end the impasse that senators outlined earlier this week includes addressing the remaining ICE funding through the budget reconciliation process, along with elements of an elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.

Budget reconciliation would give the GOP the ability to advance the package in the Senate with a simple majority, rather than the typical 60-vote threshold. But the bill's components must have a direct impact on the budget. Some GOP lawmakers have cast doubt on the approach, questioning whether components of the elections bill would comply with the budget rules. GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah called it "essentially impossible."

Graham said in a statement that the committee will work toward the budget reconciliation bill after consultation with the president and majority leader. He said the purpose of the bill will be to "make sure there is adequate funding to secure our homeland." Graham added, "I also think we have many opportunities to improve voter integrity through reconciliation," in a nod to the SAVE America Act. 

"President Trump and Leader Thune are right to push for a second reconciliation bill to address the threats we face and keep our elections secure and fair," Graham said. "I, along with the great members of the Senate Budget Committee, intend to deliver."


Chaos at airports is putting pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal, with long security lines at airports around the country. Hundreds of TSA agents have quit in recent weeks as they've gone without pay amid the DHS shutdown, while sick callouts have skyrocketed. TSA agents are set to miss another paycheck on Friday, and spring break travel is adding to the stress on security at airports.

Lawmakers are also facing pressure to resolve the issue before their two-week recess that's set to begin next week. Thune has suggested that the recess could be canceled if the standoff isn't resolved, adding to pressure on members to resolve the standoff. 

There was an outbreak of optimism about a deal on Monday after a small group of Republicans met with the president at the White House. But by Tuesday, the prospects for a quick resolution had waned.

Democrats emerged from a caucus meeting Tuesday afternoon seemingly united on their continued intention to seek reforms to ICE in the funding fight. Republicans had formally sent their offer earlier in the day, which would fund many of the agencies DHS oversees, like TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard while withholding funds for ICE's deportation arm, known as Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Since the deadly shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, Democrats have been clear that they will not fund immigration enforcement operations without reforms. But Democrats have offered in recent weeks to fund DHS agencies outside of ICE.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters Tuesday that "the problem is that they have everybody at DHS right now doing immigration enforcement." He said if lawmakers fund Customs and Border Protection or ICE's investigations arm, "you're providing for immigration enforcement."

"We, as a caucus, we've said we're not funding a lawless immigration enforcement operation, and that remains the caucus position," Murphy said. 

Schumer said after the meeting that Democrats would send Republicans a counteroffer that included reforms. But Thune said "if they want reforms, then they ought to figure out how to fund, fully fund ICE."
"We're ready to move and it's really going to be incumbent upon them," Thune said. "If DHS is going to open up and we're going to have TSA agents starting to get paid again before the weekend, the ball's in Democrats' court."