All posts tagged "mike johnson"

Trump claims GOP 'unified' on plan to bypass Dems on ICE funding: 'I will sign an order'

President Donald Trump thanked Republican congressional leaders for standing down on the funding bill that would have ended the partial government shutdown — instead moving away from the bipartisan legislation and extending the ongoing stalemate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune had agreed on Wednesday to move forward with the bill but had reversed their decision by early Thursday. Now, Republicans have rejected the Senate’s bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, according to The New York Times.

He wrote the following on his Truth Social platform:

"Thank you to all of our Great Congressional Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate Leader John Thune, for their work this week. Republicans are UNIFIED, and moving forward on a plan that will reload funding for our FANTASTIC Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement Officers. Because the Democrats are fully and 100% committed to the Radical Left Policy of Open Borders and Zero Immigration Enforcement (which will hopefully cost them dearly in the Midterms!), allowing Murderers and Criminals of all types into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted, I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security. Their families have suffered far too long at the hands of the Extreme Liberal 'Leaders,' Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem 'High Tax' Jeffries. Nevertheless, help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard, and do their part to protect and defend our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

'You are all frauds!' MAGA loses its mind as Mike Johnson surrenders on DHS funding

MAGA lawmakers and loyalists fumed Wednesday after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) caved in a standoff to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Johnson sided with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in a joint statement, signaling that the partial government shutdown could be over, and agreeing to pass the bipartisan Senate funding bill that reopens the agency without Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol funding.

On social media, plenty of MAGA devotees pushed back on the news. And some weren't convinced that the move would happen.

"Let’s make this simple: caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders wide open again. If that’s the vote, I’m a NO," Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) wrote on X.

"Funding for ICE and CBP must never be separated from DHS funding. If Republicans isolate it, they’re handing our border and ICE agents straight to the radicals who will defund and dismantle them every chance they get. Fund DHS fully, or the open borders globalists win," Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) wrote on X.

"NO! Thune will f* it up. Pass the Save American Act and nuke the filibuster," user Chiron, who shares pro-Trump and anti-vaccine content, wrote on X.

"YOU ARE ALL FRAUDS. TRUMP SAID HE WON'T SIGN ANYTHING UNTIL THE SAVE AMERICA ACT IS PASSED," user Midwest Mama, who shares MAGA conspiracy theories on social media, wrote on X.

'Speaker Johnson is flailing': Dems pile on as shutdown chaos engulfs the House

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was erupting on Friday as pressure mounted to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end the government shutdown while new bipartisan legislation headed to the House.

Johnson rejected a DHS funding bill passed overnight in the Senate and called it a "joke." The legislation would exclude federal immigration enforcement agencies from the major spending bill. The vote left House Republicans fighting over the next moves just as GOP senators had left town for Easter recess. Johnson said Republicans would introduce their own funding proposal in the House and push for more funding, despite the Senate's decision, which was likely to extend the shutdown.

"Speaker Johnson is flailing," Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) told Raw Story. "And the fastest way to end the shutdown and to pay TSA workers is to take up the Senate bill."

A question remained whether House lawmakers would vote on DHS funding on Friday.

“I hope so,” House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) told Raw Story.

A new bipartisan DHS funding bill backed by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) could push the issue forward.

"It's really the only practical solution right now," Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) told Raw Story. "It fully funds DHS, but it also has significant reforms. Most of the reforms you've heard talked about, so mask removal, the requiring of warrants for criminal arrests, requiring warrants for sensitive search locations, like schools, like polling locations on Election Day — that hasn't even been talked about, that's here — churches, synagogues, hospitals, so all of those are protected."

The new legislation includes some of the terms Democrats have argued for throughout the stalemate.

"[It] creates uniformity amongst all law enforcement for training, requires identification, like I said, the removal of masks, so it does all of that and it fully funds DHS," Fitzpatrick added.

Fitzpatrick argued that this legislation addresses reforms among federal immigration agencies.

"So what the Senate sent over has no reforms. What the House is considering today has no reforms, and this whole debate's been about reforms, and nobody's offered it in either chamber. So Tom and I are introducing it today, and we're prepared to push it to the floor and force a floor vote."

Raw Story asked Fitzpatrick what the reception among his colleagues has been so far.

"I'll let you know. I mean, we just put it out today," Fitzpatrick said. "You know, we'll find out."

'Astounding to watch': CNN reporter floored as Johnson and Thune now on 'collision course'

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 is he probably would have enough votes if he were to get some Democrats along with him," Fox said.

"And we heard from [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries earlier today that he said Democrats were willing to do whatever is necessary in order to end TSA workers not getting paid as soon as today. So the votes likely would have been there if he would have brought this to the floor. But obviously, he is facing a lot of pressure from conservatives in his conference who were not happy with what the Senate sent over in the middle of the night."

Johnson was visibly frustrated in front of a group of reporters on Friday.

"It was really astounding to watch the Speaker of the House highlight parts of this legislation he did not like, and then accused Republicans of having not possibly read the entirety of this bill if they were truly supportive of it," Fox said. "It's just a good reminder, like you noted, this bill was passed by voice vote in the middle of the night by the Senate. That means that at some point, there was a unanimous agreement that this was the path forward. And obviously, this puts him and Majority Leader John Thune on a collision course. John Thune is the Senate majority leader. And while he tried not to call out John Thune by name, and he tried to tap dance around the fact that Thune was responsible for putting this on the floor. Thune's the majority leader. Johnson can argue that this was Chuck Schumer's master plan all along, but he doesn't have control of the Senate floor. John Thune does."

Fox pointed to the apparent division among Republicans in the House and Senate.

"Clearly, there is daylight between those two Republican leaders," she added. "And I would also point out that Johnson said he spoke to Donald Trump, the president, just before he came out. That might give you an indication of where the president is right now. If the Speaker of the House felt comfortable coming out here and making such a juxtaposition to what Senate Republican leaders did just a few hours ago, I mean, clearly, this is not a shutdown that is going to end any time soon unless there is some really radical shift in Speaker Johnson's direction, given how forceful he just was, that does not look to be the case right now."

'Let me answer!' Mike Johnson takes out frustration on Fox News reporter

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was exasperated as he lashed out at a Fox News reporter on Friday.

Johnson spoke to reporters and called the DHS funding bill passed by the Senate "a joke" when Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram asked Johnson a question. Johnson snapped back at the reporter and was visibly frustrated in front of the press, blaming Democrats and, at one point, his Senate Republican colleagues over the government shutdown and the DHS funding bill, which another reporter had pointed out.

That's when Johnson got heated.

"I wouldn't call John Thune, the engineer of this," Johnson said. "Chuck Schumer and the Democrats in the Senate have forced this upon the Senate. I have to protect the House. Let me answer the question, Chad. I have to protect the House, and I have to protect the American people. That's our responsibility. Our colleagues on this side understand this is not a game. We are not playing their games."

'Behind closed doors': Analyst claims 'most Republicans' are privately finished with Trump

The Republican Party is starting to shift against Donald Trump as prominent party representatives show signs of tiring of the president, an analyst claimed Friday.

Some outspoken GOP members are not hiding disagreements with Trump, with Rep. Thomas Massie an outspoken critic. But now even staunch allies, particularly Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, are showing signs of strain and could break from him in the near future, Brian Karem wrote in Salon.

Johnson made a rare split from Trump earlier this year, saying the president's crusade against Democratic Party members calling for military personnel to refuse illegal orders should not lead to prosecution.

"A line is crossed and it's very serious when you have leaders here in the Senate and House effectively telling members of the military to defy orders," said Johnson. "It's a very dangerous gambit they were playing. Should they be sent to jail? Probably not, but we need to call it out as being wildly inappropriate."

Karem wrote of Trump, "The man needs help. So far, the Republicans remain too scared to call his bluff, although House Speaker Mike Johnson is obviously getting sick of him. Tuesday, the two appeared jointly at a public event.

"After the president said a GOP member of Congress was terminally ill and would probably be dead before June, Johnson had to clean up Trump’s mess. All he could say is that the president said the quiet part out loud.

"Behind closed doors, most Republicans are done with the Donald," Karem wrote.

"A few, like Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, are already speaking out. The question is now with the Republican leadership. How much longer will Johnson bend his knee? He has held his caucus together against all odds, considering their ineptitude and Trump’s.

"No one is predicting that Johnson will turn on the president — now. That’s a fever dream. But how much further will Trump go down the road of destruction before Johnson says 'enough'? It’s an interesting question that is being whispered about on Capitol Hill."

Johnson may not even be a part of the change, according to Republican Party insiders, with the potential loss of the House during the midterm elections potentially enough to turn the tide.

Karem added, "Most congressional Republicans feel the turn will come if they lose the House and Senate in the upcoming midterms." And a White House source added, "It’s over one way or another after that."

'Turmoil' threatens Trump's last-gasp midterm plan as GOP gathers for retreat: analysis

A hopeful push from President Donald Trump to pass an elections bill he hopes could save the GOP from midterm devastation could be hindered by the party itself, a report revealed Monday.

Whether the Republican Party has time to address economic shortcomings and cost-of-living problems remains to be seen, though the president's push for an election bill could stretch the party too thin. The GOP, according to Politico reporters Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy, is in turmoil over the eight months left before the midterm elections.

The pair wrote, "Internally, turmoil continues to wrack the GOP’s ultra-narrow majority. Renegade members are routinely bucking leadership — for instance, hauling in Trump’s attorney general for testimony on the Jeffrey Epstein probe.

"And last week’s primaries generated a fresh trio of lame-duck Republicans who leaders fear might no longer feel compelled to show up for votes on a regular basis.

"On top of it all, Trump has focused his legislative energies on matters far afield from what many Republican lawmakers want to tackle. In recent days, he has renewed his push for a long-shot elections bill, adding in additional provisions targeting transgender rights for good measure."

The turmoil comes as GOP members get together for a retreat aimed, in part, at shoring up a midterm battle plan.

"The members gathering at Trump’s Doral resort Monday are seeking to keep the focus on what they can control — with plans to discuss a new party-line budget reconciliation bill as well as so-far elusive options to lower health care costs, fund the Department of Homeland Security and advance stalled housing legislation," Politico reported.

There may not be enough time for the GOP to carry forward certain bills either, with Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) suggesting the party has not yet figured out how to present them to the House.

He said, "We have to discuss exactly how we advance the president’s agenda for the last eight months before the election, and we have to set those plans in motion."

GOP leaders in the House "expect a serious battle to unfold during the retreat," and a promise from Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, could prove fatal for the future of some bills.

A reconciliation bill was promised previously by Johnson, though to get it through the House would "require almost complete unity among Republicans and faces the distinct possibility it could be DOA [dead on arrival] in the Senate."

‘Weakest Speaker’: Mike Johnson derided on Capitol Hill after latest Trump surrender

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down, but you wouldn’t know it from walking around the U.S. Capitol, where the Epstein files and President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address are the talk of elected officials.

The silence as the DHS shutdown drags into its third week is, in part, because House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have, once again, outsourced their constitutionally-mandated spending powers to President Trump.

“I'm getting quite used to this. Republican leadership isn't really leading,” Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) told Raw Story.

While negotiations are nonexistent, simmering anger on the left is palpable.

“They don't really have any agency,” Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-TX) told Raw Story ahead of a House vote this week. “They’ve voluntarily given up power.

“Johnson really is probably the weakest Speaker, at least in recent memory. Everything is just about Trump and what Trump wants, on their side.”

‘Basic safeguards’

The DHS shutdown began earlier this month after Senate Democrats defeated the no-strings-attached funding extension Republicans squeaked out of the House.

The shutdown means members of key DHS agencies, including the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are working without pay.

Earlier this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the White House still hasn’t answered a recent offer shipped down Pennsylvania Avenue, with “crickets” in response.

The stand-off is fueled by Democratic fury over recent immigration operations in Minneapolis, prominently featuring violent action by agents of DHS bodies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.

Two U.S. citizen protesters — Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, both 37 — were shot and killed in the city last month, fueling anger already stoked by arrest and deportation efforts including shootings of undocumented migrants.

Democrats are demanding reforms including an end to masking by federal agents and the use of judicial search warrants, measures congressional Republicans, the White House and DHS leaders reject.

“We ought to be able to … agree to basic constitutional safeguards like warrants and no masks, identifying themselves,” Castro said. “Those are not unreasonable requests.”

Reasonable or not, the White House remains mum — which has some powerful Republicans pointing fingers.

In a statement, House Appropriations Committee chair Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), accused Democrats of choosing “to make the security of the American people — and the livelihoods of DHS families — contingent on partisan demands.”

Cole added: “It’s time for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to return to the basic obligation of governing: keep the nation secure and fund the department charged with doing so.”

Castro, a member of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, told Raw Story: “We don't want to see any part of the federal government shut down.

“At the same time, they got $150 billion extra dollars within the last few years, and Donald Trump has been willing to move money around departments since he got to a second term. And so they have the money they need for all the functions they need.”

Last May, a $150 billion infusion of money for anti-immigration measures cleared the House by a one-vote margin. It has been widely pointed out that the DHS shutdown is not affecting operations by ICE, as it benefits from that budget measure.

‘Tone deaf’

Larsen lamented DHS letting “ICE agents run amok” as “tone deaf” Republicans refuse to bend on any of the safeguards Democrats are demanding.

Larsen also pointed to lingering scandals over the behavior of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which have led to calls for her to be fired.

“I think that part of the problem is Kristi Noem,” Larsen said. “It’s like she doesn't want to run the agency, except for herself. It's how it looks like and the administration refuses to even consider that.”

Noem’s use of DHS resources for her own comfort and close relationship with adviser Corey Lewandowski have been the subject of bombshell reporting. But President Trump seems inclined to stick by her.

Mocking Trump administration responses to the shutdown, Larsen, a member of the House Transportation Committee, said: “You have Kristi Noem saying things like, ‘Well, we're not going to put out business relief dollars. We're going to suspend TSA PreCheck [for air travelers], without checking with the White House, and the White House saying, ‘Yeah, TSA PreCheck’ [will continue].”

It added up to a clear Democratic expectation of slow to no progress in reopening DHS, and paying its key employees, any time soon — particularly as Speaker Johnson and Senate Leader Thune leave talks to Trump.

“I don't think the White House believes, or DHS believes, they have leverage on Congress,” Larsen said. “They sure don't seem to have leverage. The White House knows our position, and we know their position. And so it's in their court.”

'Frustrated' GOP Senate leader admits Trump's voter bill is dead — and lashes out at House

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has reportedly hit a frustration point and rejected the "talking filibuster" — signaling that President Donald Trump's SAVE America Act no longer has a path forward.

Thune has faced growing pressure from Trump, House and Senate conservative leaders and MAGA influencers to push the legislation forward using the maneuver, but as of Wednesday Thune has publicly said there is no way for Republicans to pass the GOP-backed bill requiring ID and proof of citizenship to vote, according to Punchbowl News. Multiple sources have also said that Thune has shared private frustration with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Republicans who have continued to press the "talking filibuster."

"It’s yet another self-inflicted wound from a party that can’t seem to settle on a midterm message," Punchbowl News reported. "Republicans are tearing themselves apart over legislation that has captivated Trump’s base but has almost no chance of becoming law. It’s also threatening to sour cross-Capitol relations among top Republicans."

"Thune has long expressed skepticism of the 'talking filibuster' tactic, warning it would jam up the Senate floor for weeks or even months," according to Punchbowl News. "The procedure would allow Senate Democrats to force votes on some of the most politically treacherous issues facing vulnerable Republicans."

It's a risky move for Republicans just months away from the midterm elections.

"Republicans would need to stick together to kill every Democratic amendment, or risk allowing Democrats to hijack the Senate floor and derail the SAVE America Act," Punchbowl News reported.

Four GOP senators — Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) — have signaled they were not willing to support moving the process forward.

"Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told us he’ll vote 'no' on the motion to proceed to the SAVE America Act absent a clear plan to pass it without nuking the legislative filibuster," according to Punchbowl News. "That means the first procedural vote — and several others throughout the potentially weeks-long process — would require perfect GOP attendance and a constant presence by Vice President JD Vance to break ties. One more 'no' vote and the process couldn’t even get off the ground."

Mike Johnson admits Trump's tariffs are dead on arrival in Congress

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said Monday that he doubted Congress would pass any legislation to reinstate President Donald Trump's tariff policy following the Supreme Court decision last week that the president's levies were illegal.

He described how it would be unlikely for lawmakers to reverse that decision, Politico reported.

“It’s going to be, I think, a challenge to find consensus on any path forward on the tariffs, on the legislative side,” Johnson said. “And so that is why, I think, you see so much of the attention on the executive side, the executive branch, and what they’re doing and how they’re reacting to the ruling.”

And although some Republicans have suggested a second path with a budget reconciliation process following the high court's ruling, Johnson still didn't think it would happen.

“I’m not sure it has much to do with reconciliation,” Johnson said.

Trump this weekend said he would raise tariffs to 15 percent globally, which are slated to expire in 150 days. After that, lawmakers would need to extend those levies. However, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the conversations, Republicans have said privately they do not expect to have the support to do so, and senior GOP leaders don't have plans to continue the Trump tariff agenda, Politico reported.

It was also unclear how potential refunds would work following the Supreme Court decision, which Congress will not be handling, Johnson added.

“The White House is going to sort that out, and we have to give them the time and space to do it,” Johnson said. “This is an unprecedented event, of course, so there’s no playbook to follow. I think they’ve got good arguments on their side, and we’ll see how it shakes out. That’s not something that really involves the House at this point.”