Senate Republicans expressed optimism Tuesday about reaching a funding deal to end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which has disrupted air travel and left thousands of TSA workers without pay for more than a month.
The shutdown began in mid-February 2026 after Congress failed to pass full-year appropriations for DHS. House Republicans passed funding bills with bipartisan support twice, but Senate Democrats blocked them five times, citing demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) operations. The standoff has now stretched into its sixth week.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said discussions were positive and productive after a group of GOP senators met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday evening. Thune told reporters he felt good about the emerging agreement but remained cautious until details were finalized. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, a key negotiator, returned from the meeting hopeful the plan would succeed.
The proposal under discussion would fund approximately 94 percent of the DHS budget. It includes:
- Full funding for the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- Full funding for the Coast Guard and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
- Exclusion of roughly $5.5 billion for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, the division responsible for arrests and deportations.
ICE has continued some functions due to prior funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in 2025.
Republicans plan to address the excluded ICE funding and elements of the SAVE America Act through the budget reconciliation process later. That process requires only 51 votes in the Senate and bypasses the filibuster. The SAVE America Act focuses on proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, a priority supported by President Trump.
Travelers have faced severe delays at major airports including Atlanta, Houston, New York, and others. The impact includes:
- TSA call-out rates rising to five times normal levels.
- More than 400 screeners quitting their positions.
- Economic losses estimated in the billions and safety concerns during peak travel periods.
Many TSA employees have worked without pay since mid-February, missing at least one full paycheck.
President Trump initially linked any deal to progress on the SAVE America Act and deployed additional immigration officers to some airport checkpoints, a move that drew criticism for potentially increasing tensions. After the Monday White House meeting, several senators said Trump signaled openness to the compromise framework. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina described the talks as constructive and said:
“the madness of four-hour lines needed to end.”
Democrats have not yet signed off on the proposal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats have pushed for separate funding bills for TSA and non-enforcement agencies while demanding reforms to ICE practices following incidents involving federal agents. Democrats blocked earlier Republican efforts to fund the full department without changes and accused Republicans of:
“holding TSA paychecks hostage to protect unrestricted ICE operations.”
House Republicans have continued to pass clean DHS funding measures and criticized Senate Democrats for obstruction. The partial shutdown has not affected all federal agencies, as most received funding in prior bills, but it has strained DHS operations specifically.
Senate Republicans believe the split-funding approach provides a realistic path forward. It reopens critical functions like airport security immediately while preserving leverage for stronger immigration enforcement later through reconciliation. Sources close to the negotiations said the Senate could move on the measure as early as this week if Democrats agree.
The optimism comes amid growing pressure from business groups, airlines, and travelers frustrated by the chaos. Lawmakers on both sides acknowledge the urgency to restore pay for federal workers and stabilize airport operations before disruptions worsen further.
Senate Republicans are pushing to finalize the TSA funding component of the DHS deal this week to halt the airport crisis and restore stability to homeland security operations.
