Senate Unanimously Passes DHS Funding Bill to End Partial Shutdown, Sending It Back to the House

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday to partially reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), sending it back to the House as Washington edges closer to ending the longest-ever partial government shutdown.

The measure will return to the House, which declined to take it up last week in favor of an alternative funding plan.

House leaders are now expected to reconsider after striking an agreement with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to pursue a broader spending package later this spring. That future legislation is set to include funding tied to the president’s immigration and border priorities, which had been a key sticking point in earlier negotiations.

It remains unclear when the House will bring the Senate-passed bill to a vote. Lawmakers in both chambers are currently on a two-week recess, though brief “pro forma” sessions have continued in Washington.

The Senate vote follows a joint statement issued Wednesday by Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson outlining a plan to break the impasse. The proposal introduces a two-step approach, pushing a partial reopening of DHS initially, followed by a larger “megabill” addressing immigration funding.

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