The U.S. Senate is finalizing an agreement to advance the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) funding stalemate and end the partial government shutdown that has stretched for nearly six weeks.
The impasse has affected several agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
A group of Senate Republicans met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to finalize details and present written proposals for both parties to discuss at their weekly caucus lunches, according to the Associated Press (AP).
"We're waiting to see something in writing to see exactly what the proposal is," Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) told reporters before the meeting. "So I'm hopeful that we can get through this and fund these agencies."
Following the meeting, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) confirmed to reporters that negotiators had reached a solution with the White House.
The proposed deal would fund agencies under DHS jurisdiction, such as TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Coast Guard, without backing Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) immigration operations.
According to CBS News, Senate Republicans would then seek to approve ICE funds, alongside elements of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act – a proposed bill targeting potential voter fraud by requiring stricter verification of U.S. citizenship for federal elections – through the budget reconciliation process.
Budget reconciliation circumvents the 60-vote threshold usually required to pass bills in the Senate. It allows the party in power to approve a legislative package without negotiating with the minority group. “But the maneuver comes with limitations and requires the bill's components to have direct budgetary consequences,” CBS reports.
Congressional Republicans previously used the reconciliation maneuver to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year.
“All I can say is that the discussions have been very positive and productive, and hopefully headed in the right direction,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday evening.
