House Republicans reject GOP-only DHS shutdown fix as frustration grows.

Senate Republicans are moving forward with a two-step strategy to end the historic Department of Homeland Security shutdown, yet their House allies tell Fox News Digital they reject the plan. Many House Republicans now express deep frustration that a proposed GOP-only funding package ignores other policy goals beyond securing the border ahead of the November midterm elections.

Representative Pat Harrigan from North Carolina told Fox News Digital that lawmakers have only one guaranteed shot at reconciliation. He acknowledged some talk of two steps but insisted the single opportunity is the only path forward. Harrigan expressed a desire to expand the bill to include defense funding and address affordability concerns, noting there is much important work to be done.

Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, remains undecided about the Senate's approach while voicing significant issues with it. He argues the legislation should be far more expansive to meet the diverse needs of the party. Meanwhile, the Senate approved a budget resolution early Thursday that largely followed party lines to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term.

Republicans are utilizing the partisan budget reconciliation process to bypass Democrats and fund immigration enforcement using only GOP votes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, refused to support the department without sweeping reforms added to the proposal. House Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana is racing to pass the Senate's budget resolution as early as next week. At that stage, he can afford to lose only a handful of votes before the deadline. President Trump has set a June 1 deadline to fully fund immigration enforcement through a GOP-only bill, forcing Republicans to act quickly with little room for error.

Before the DHS shutdown, House Republican leadership hinted at a budget reconciliation sequel to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This new proposal would have incorporated a diverse set of priorities including a defense supplemental package, spending cuts targeting fraud, and policies aimed at lowering the cost of living. However, concerns among rank-and-file Republicans that a forthcoming budget bill will exclude those provisions threaten to jeopardize that timeline.

House conservatives have also fiercely objected to the Senate passing a bipartisan partial DHS bill. This legislation carves out ICE and the Border Patrol from the normal appropriations process while keeping those two agencies unfunded. After Democrats in the upper chamber repeatedly filibustered DHS funding bills, the Senate approved legislation funding parts of the department that Democrats would support. The House has yet to take up that legislation.

Representative Andy Harris, Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, stated Thursday that the bill sent over by the Senate is totally unacceptable to conservatives. He declared they will never vote for or support any bill that puts a zero for immigration enforcement. Higgins echoed this sentiment, telling Fox News Digital that the very premise of needing a reconciliation bill to pass funding for ICE and CBP is repulsive to him.

Senate Republicans are pushing to keep the funding package narrow. Leaders fear adding more items could delay progress.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham wants only two panels involved. He aims to speed up the budget bill.

Graham stated most Republicans agree to fully fund the Border Patrol and ICE. This funding would last three and a half years through the Trump presidency. He expressed pride in his colleagues after the upper chamber adopted the plan.

Some Senate Republicans disagree with this narrow approach. They want a larger package because they fear missing the chance before the midterms.

Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana argued for a bigger bill. He warned that a third reconciliation bill is unlikely.

"I'm not saying anybody's lying, they're not," Kennedy said on the Senate floor. "People probably intend to do a third reconciliation bill. But you're not looking at Bambi's baby brother here. There won't be a third reconciliation bill. You know it … and I know it. This is it. This is the last train leaving the station."

It remains unclear if the House will change the Senate's budget blueprint. Any changes would return the bill to the Senate. Congress would then need another marathon vote series to unlock the process.

The Department of Homeland Security warned it lacks funds to pay employees through May.

Earlier in April, President Trump ordered the department to use existing funds. This order covered back pay for federal employees affected by the funding lapse. The shutdown began in mid-February.