President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will soon sign an order to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees who have missed paychecks during a partial government shutdown that has stretched to 48 days, placing fresh pressure on Congress as negotiations remain stalled.
The announcement comes one day after House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican leader John Thune said Republicans would pursue a two-track strategy to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, days after Johnson had dismissed a Senate-passed stopgap bill as “a joke.”
Trump announced the move in a social media post, praising Republican congressional leaders for recent talks while blaming Democrats for the funding impasse. The president said the order would cover DHS employees whose pay has been affected by the lapse in funding, arguing their families “have suffered far too long.”
“Nevertheless, help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard, and do their part to protect and defend our Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Executive Action Follows TSA Backpay Order
Trump’s announcement mirrors an earlier executive action he took to ensure Transportation Security Administration workers were paid during the shutdown after widespread employee absences led to long airport security delays. TSA agents later began receiving backpay, easing bottlenecks at some major airports.
Trump’s latest order is expected to apply broadly across DHS, including employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and other support and non‑law‑enforcement units within the department. Administration officials have not yet provided details on how the payments would be structured or how long they would remain in effect absent congressional action.
The majority of DHS employees have continued to report to work during the shutdown, but thousands have gone without pay, adding to financial strain as the funding lapse drags on.
Congress Remains Deadlocked on DHS Funding
Despite Trump’s announcement, there was no legislative breakthrough Thursday. Both the House and Senate convened briefly for pro forma sessions without advancing a funding agreement.
The shutdown appeared likely to extend into next week as the House weighs whether to take up a Senate‑passed funding bill that would reopen most of DHS but exclude funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol. That measure passed the Senate earlier with bipartisan support but was rejected by House Republicans.
Republican leaders and the White House have now coalesced around a two‑step strategy to resolve the impasse after pursuing separate approaches that left Congress departing Washington last week without a deal before the start of its spring recess.
Under the emerging Republican plan, Congress would first pass the Senate measure to fund most of DHS, excluding ICE and Border Patrol, then later attempt to restore funding for immigration enforcement agencies through separate party‑line legislation.
During Thursday’s brief Senate session, Majority Leader John Thune, R‑S.D., set aside a House proposal to fund the entire department for 60 days. The House subsequently met without acting on the Senate bill, though Thune said he expected it to be taken up eventually.
“I don’t know the particulars around what the House will do with it,” Thune told reporters. “My assumption is, at some point, hopefully, they’ll move it.”
Johnson Reverses Course After Criticizing Senate Bill
Johnson, R‑La., reversed his earlier opposition to the Senate funding measure, announcing Wednesday that he and Thune would support returning to it. The shift marked a sharp turn from just days earlier, when Johnson derided the proposal as a “joke” and questioned whether Senate Republicans had even read the bill’s language.
Johnson now appears aligned with Thune and Trump, though his ability to deliver votes within his conference remains uncertain. A significant bloc of House Republicans criticized the Senate measure last week, arguing it concedes too much to Democrats by leaving immigration enforcement unfunded.
House Republicans were expected to hold a conference call later Thursday to discuss next steps.
Conservative Opposition Still Threatens Deal
The outcome remains uncertain, with conservatives warning they could oppose the plan even with Trump’s backing. Funding ICE and Border Patrol remains a major sticking point for hardline Republicans who argue immigration enforcement should not be separated from broader DHS funding.
“Let’s make this simple: caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders wide open again,” Rep. Scott Perry, R‑Pa., wrote on X. “If that’s the vote, I’m a NO.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans were responsible for prolonging the shutdown by failing to act on the bipartisan Senate deal sooner.
“Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction,” Schumer said.
Longer‑Term Funding Still Uncertain
Trump has said he wants a broader budget package later this year that would fund ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of his term, shielding immigration enforcement from future shutdown fights. He said he wants that legislation on his desk by June 1.
Thune acknowledged obstacles to that approach, including the risk that lawmakers could attempt to expand the bill’s scope and delay passage.
“The thing that some people want to do, we can’t do,” Thune said. “And so you have to figure out what’s in the realm of the possible. And you have to just continue to define reality for people.”
As the shutdown grinds on, pressure continues to mount from unpaid federal workers and travelers still experiencing ripple effects, even as Trump’s executive order promises some immediate relief for DHS employees while Congress remains at an impasse.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
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