Record Shutdown Ends

President Donald Trump signed a bill on April 30 to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. 

The legislation was passed by voice vote earlier on Thursday, signalling the end to a shutdown that began on Feb. 14.

Democrats wanted immigration enforcement reforms in exchange for funding ICE and Border Patrol following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement agents. 

Those reforms include agents being maskless and carrying identification.

Republicans will look to fund ICE and Border Patrol in a separate bill through a process called reconciliation that allows for bypassing the usual 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate.

Questions have arisen about whether House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his Republican leadership team are at odds with the White House—an idea the speaker strongly rejected.

“We’re not defying the White House … Everybody understands what we’re doing. We’re all one team. We’re working together. I met with [Senate Majority] Leader [John] Thune two hours ago. He knows exactly what we’re doing,” Johnson ​told reporters. “We understand the urgency of it.”

Still, conservative hardliners within the House GOP have withheld support, objecting to language in the bill that explicitly bars any of its funds from being used for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Earlier this week, the White House Office of Management and Budget warned that funding for the affected agencies could run out in May, which begins today. If that happens, the administration may be unable to fully pay Department of Homeland Security personnel—potentially disrupting air travel and weakening national security.

Both the House and Senate are scheduled to leave Washington on Thursday for a one-week recess.

Johnson had dismissed the bill as a “joke” just last month.

However, by initiating the budget process, he opened the door for a broader bipartisan measure covering TSA agents and other Department of Homeland Security personnel. 

Late on Wednesday, House Republicans passed a budget resolution in a near party-line vote of 215–211. The plan aims to allocate $70 billion for immigration enforcement and deportations through the remainder of Trump’s presidency, which ends in January 2029, while also preventing Democrats from blocking the funding.

After the vote, Johnson admitted he had previously criticized the bill but said the new approach—separating immigration enforcement funding into its own budget track—made it acceptable to him, allowing passage “with no controversial Democratic provisions.”

The White House has been pressing Congress to act, warning that stopgap funding used by Trump to temporarily pay TSA and other DHS workers through executive actions is running out.

With payroll costs exceeding $1.6 billion every two weeks, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently warned that available funds are rapidly diminishing.

Since the shutdown began, more than 1,000 TSA officers have resigned, according to Airlines for America, a U.S. airline industry group that urged Congress on Wednesday to fully fund the department.

—Jackson Richman; Stacy Robinson

BOOKMARKS 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says more measles cases will likely be coming in the next few months. “CDC remains fully engaged in protecting the nation’s health and will continue providing updates and coordinated support to help ensure communities have the tools they need to prevent and contain measles,” the agency said. 

Republican gubernatorial candidate and current U.S. senator from Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, is calling on her state to redraw its Congressional map to give the GOP more advantage. That follows Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned lower-court decisions mandating maps be drawn to create mostly-minority districts.  

The U.S. Senate, in a rare unanimous vote, on Thursday banned its members and their staff from betting on prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket. The rule, aimed to stop senators from insider trading, will go into effect immediately.

Commercial flights from Miami to Venezuela have resumed for the first time in seven years, following the capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro. “This flight will directly contribute to Venezuela’s economic recovery,” Transportation Undersecretary Ryan McCormack said.

President Donald Trump said on April 30 that he is considering withdrawing troops from Italy and Spain, citing their lack of support in the Iran war. “Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help, and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible,” Trump said when asked about the matter.

—Stacy Robinson