The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became the longest in U.S. history on March 29.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have blamed each other for the standstill while tossing a dizzying array of proposals through the halls of Congress, which have not successfully moved forward.
Republicans blamed Democrats for not advancing the DHS spending bills as the Democrats say they will not approve the funding bill until they are guaranteed to see an overhaul in how immigration operations are handled.
The bill was sent to the Senate, which just went on a two-week recess.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has urged his colleagues to return to Washington and end the DHS shutdown.
“If you don’t want to fight fires, don’t become a firefighter,” Lee suggested during an interview on Fox News Channel.
“If you don’t want to take grueling votes at difficult hours and sometimes have to work longer than you want to, maybe you shouldn’t become a United States senator.”
“We hope that someday Democrats finally come to their senses again and put the safety of American citizens first but we’re not holding our breath,” Johnson said during a press conference on Saturday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would not support the House’s bill that passed on Friday night.
“A 60 day CR that locks in the status quo is dead on arrival in the Senate, and Republicans know it,” Schumer wrote in an X post.
“We’ve been clear from day one: Democrats will fund critical Homeland Security functions—but we will not give a blank check to Trump’s lawless and deadly immigration militia without reforms.”
The shutdown has caused extremely long lines at airports, as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents—who have not received a check since mid-February—called out sick.
