WASHINGTON — Top Republicans and Democrats met Thursday at the Capitol with White House border czar Tom Homan to try to end the monthly Homeland Security Department shutdown.
The in-person talks come as Senate Majority Leader John Thune threatened to nix the upcoming two-week Easter recess unless negotiators reach a deal.
Since the DHS funding freeze on February 14, lawmakers have shown little interest in ending the partisan standoff. But with recent suspected terrorist attacks across the country, thousands of federal employees working without pay and major disruptions from TSA agents at some airports dodging payments, the urgency is now growing on Capitol Hill.
“We have been encouraging this for some time and it is good to see both sides sit down and have a home run here,” Thune, RSD, told reporters on Thursday.
“Being a part of that, I think, is a very big deal, and a recognition that we have to address this,” the leader continued. “And that needs to be resolved by the end of next week. I can’t see us taking a break if the government is still shut down.”
Threatening to cancel lawmakers’ cherished vacations — during which they typically plan family vacations, campaign in primaries for this year’s midterm elections or take official trips abroad — is a favorite move of congressional leaders frustrated by legislative gridlock.
Lawmakers in both the House and Senate will go on a two-week recess starting March 27 for the Easter vacation and spring break.
Thursday’s meeting marked the rare formal sit-down meeting between Republicans and Democrats since the shutdown 33 days ago. And Homan’s presence at the Capitol is a sign that bipartisan talks are getting more serious.
After DHS officers shot and killed two American citizens this year, Rene Goode and Alex Pretty, President Donald Trump sent Homan to replace Greg Bovino and take charge of the administration’s immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
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As he left the meeting, Homan was asked if the two sides had reached an agreement to reopen DHS. He shook his head no.
“I’m glad the White House is here, but we’re a long way off,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Murray is a key negotiator as the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, which writes government funding bills like DHS. Other Democrats in the room were Sens. Gene Shaheen, DN.H., Maggie Hassan, DN.H., and Angus King, I-Maine, all former governors, as well as Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.
Still, other legislators who participated in the talks characterized the meeting as productive. And senators and the White House have asked Homan to attend Thursday’s meeting, he said.
“We’re just working, trying to figure out how to get DHS funding. We’ve got TSA agents out there, it’s not getting funded, and we’ve got to come up with a solution,” said Sen., who serves on the Appropriations Committee. John Hoven, RN.D. “I think we’ve made some progress. (Homans) remains engaged. His expertise is very helpful.”
DHS was shut down just over a month ago after department agents killed Good and Pretty in Minneapolis. Democrats allowed funding for other parts of the government, but they vowed to block funding for DHS until Republicans agreed to make significant reforms to how the administration handles immigration enforcement.
While many DHS functions continue, including immigration enforcement, TSA security at airports, FEMA and more, some DHS employees will not be paid for their work during the shutdown. One notable exception is ICE, whose agents have been receiving funding since last year thanks to Trump’s big, beautiful bill.
The two parties have been exchanging proposals for weeks, with little progress. This week, White House legislative affairs chief Homan and James Braid sent a letter to top GOP advisers — Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Katie Britt, R-Ala. – The administration outlines five areas it is willing to negotiate with Democrats.
Among those areas: expanding the use of body-worn cameras and requiring that body camera footage be retained for congressional oversight; limiting civilian immigration enforcement activities to “certain sensitive locations,” including hospitals and schools; and requires all DHS law enforcement conducting enforcement activities to display proper identification.
“I believe we had good faith conversations,” Britt said as he left the meeting. “And we have to do it for the American people, for the safety and security of Americans and for every man and woman who raised their hand to defend their homeland.”
“They deserve a paycheck, and we’re working on finding a way toward that,” he said.
This week, more than 60,000 TSA officers and other personnel did not receive their first full paycheck due to the shutdown, which caused undue financial and emotional stress on these critical employees.
These shutdowns can significantly lower morale among TSA employees, increase attrition rates and callouts, leading to longer waits at airports for travelers.
At Philadelphia International Airport, for example, the TSA said it would close two checkpoints on Wednesday, in addition to one already closed due to TSA staffing shortages.
Democrats said any airport problems would be solved quickly — if Republicans took up their bill to pay employees other than those who work for TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and ICE. Republicans say they want to fund all of DHS together, not piecemeal.
“We’re going to be able to do it today,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “What Speaker Johnson needs to do is bring legislation to the floor that would pay TSA agents and reopen parts of the Department of Homeland Security that have nothing to do with ICE.”
Earlier Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security Committee nominated Trump’s next choice to lead DHS: Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. He could be confirmed by the full Senate next week.
