WASHINGTON ‒ Congress finally ended the historic Department of Homeland Security shutdown, resolving the longest crisis of its kind in American history.
In an abrupt afternoon vote on Thursday, April 30, the House of Representatives passed a funding bill for the agency, sending it to President Donald Trump's desk. The vote resolved a political showdown that has plagued Capitol Hill and the country for more than two months, leaving thousands of workers without pay, upending air travel and jeopardizing Americans' safety.
On Wednesday night, the House cleared a key hurdle by greenlighting a budget blueprint to funnel $70 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. The broader DHS funding bill doesn't include funding for immigration enforcement, which became a sticking point for GOP hardliners in the House.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin previously warned that by the first week of May, he would run out of time to reroute any more money to his workers, including Transportation Security Administration agents.
"There's a lot on the line," Rep. Mike Flood, R-Nebraska, told reporters on Thursday morning. "When you talk to Markwayne Mullin ... he's pulling the fire alarm."
