DHS shutdown set to drag on? Johnson says Senate-passed funding bill has 'problematic' language, must be rewritten

Speaker Mike Johnson has said the Senate-passed Homeland Security funding bill contains "problematic" language and will need to be revised before the House can vote on it, deepening a shutdown that has already cost the Transportation Security Administration more than 1,100 officers, Politico reported.

"It has some problematic language because it was haphazardly drafted," Johnson told reporters. "We have a modified version that I think is going to be much better for both chambers."

The sticking point centres on a passage in the Senate bill that explicitly zeroes out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Those agencies are intended to be funded through a separate, party-line budget reconciliation measure, but hardline House conservatives are demanding the language be stripped from the bipartisan bill entirely, arguing it would effectively "orphan" immigration enforcement funding.

The complication is significant: removing that language would require the Senate to approve the bill a third time, and could draw objections from Democrats who have insisted on embedding new restrictions on immigration enforcement into any final agreement.

The timing carries particular concern given that the FIFA World Cup kicks off in June across US host cities. The TSA has warned that replacement officers require four to six months of training to "perform regular airport duties," meaning any staff brought on now would not be fully operational before the tournament begins.

As of late March 2026, the TSA employed approximately 50,000 officers in total, according to White House figures.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has previously acknowledged that the department has been drawing on emergency funding, authorised by President Donald Trump via executive action, from last year's Republican spending legislation. However, that money is expected to run dry in the first week of May if the shutdown continues, raising the prospect of further disruption to airport security lines.

In a letter obtained by Politico, Langworthy cited Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner as a catalyst for urgent action.

"There is no time for delay. As put on full display for the American people with the attack surrounding the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend, our country remains at risk," Langworthy wrote. "While we continue to have significant work ahead to fully fund immigration enforcement through the reconciliation process, we should demonstrate clearly that we are committed to delivering solutions at the earliest possible moment."

Johnson and Republican leadership have maintained that movement on the Senate bill should wait until the House makes progress on the parallel reconciliation measure covering immigration enforcement agencies. That sequencing strategy, however, is facing growing resistance from within their own ranks.