New Facts: Johnson reverses on Senate DHS deal

Mike Johnson initially dismissed a Senate plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security by funding most of the department while leaving immigration enforcement aside. He steered the House to pass a 60-day stopgap that had little chance in the Senate. Days later, after private talks with the White House, he backed the Senate approach and dropped the stopgap.

The reversal sparked anger in his conference, including among longtime allies. House Republicans spent nearly three hours on a Friday conference call airing complaints about the strategy. The House left town without voting on the Senate plan, and DHS remained unfunded for 52 days, the longest shutdown on record.

The Senate approach funds most DHS agencies while setting immigration enforcement aside. President Donald Trump signed an order to keep DHS staff paid during the shutdown after airport screening lines grew long. The House returns April 14, and Johnson is not expected to bring up a DHS bill until the Senate shows progress on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources