House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) were at odds Friday after the Senate passed its DHS bill overnight to try to end the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Johnson announced on Friday that he would set forward his own legislation, which does not have enough support to pass, after the Senate bill passed, and called it "a joke." He said he wouldn't support it, despite the Senate Republicans' vote to support the bill to fund all agencies under the Department of Homeland Security except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. DHS has been unfunded since February due to disputes over ICE and CBP’s often violent operations.
CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox described what was next on Capitol Hill as Johnson pushed forward the new legislation.
"The reality ishe probably would have enoughvotes if he were to get some Democrats along with him," Fox said.
"And weheard from [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffriesearlier today that he said Democrats were willing to dowhatever is necessary in orderto end TSA workers not gettingpaid as soon as today. So thevotes likely would have beenthere if he would have broughtthis to the floor. Butobviously, he is facing a lot ofpressure from conservatives inhis conference who were nothappy with what the Senate sentover in the middle of the night."
Johnson was visibly frustrated in front of a group of reporters on Friday.
"It was really astoundingto watch the Speaker of theHouse highlight parts of thislegislation he did not like, andthen accused Republicans ofhaving not possibly read theentirety of this bill if theywere truly supportive of it," Fox said. "It's just a good reminder, likeyou noted, this bill was passedby voice vote in the middle ofthe night by the Senate. Thatmeans that at some point, therewas a unanimous agreement thatthis was the path forward. Andobviously, this puts him and Majority Leader John Thune on acollision course. John Thune isthe Senate majority leader. Andwhile he tried not to call out John Thune by name, and he triedto tap dance around the factthat Thune was responsible forputting this on the floor. Thune's the majority leader. Johnson can argue that this was Chuck Schumer's master plan allalong, but he doesn't havecontrol of the Senate floor.John Thune does."
Fox pointed to the apparent division among Republicans in the House and Senate.
"Clearly, thereis daylight between those two Republican leaders," she added. "And I wouldalso point out that Johnson saidhe spoke to Donald Trump, thepresident, just before he cameout. That might give you anindication of where thepresident is right now. If the Speaker of the House felt comfortable coming out here andmaking such a juxtaposition towhat Senate Republican leadersdid just a few hours ago, Imean, clearly, this is not ashutdown that is going to endany time soon unless there issome really radical shift in Speaker Johnson's direction,given how forceful he just was,that does not look to be thecase right now."
