Congress is poised to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security in the next few days, potentially ending the longest government shutdown of any kind.
The decision is an about-face from a bitter cross-Capitol funding fight that commenced last week when the Senate unanimously passed and sent a deal to the House to fund the department, excluding portions for immigration enforcement, in the early morning hours Thursday.
After the Senate left town, House Republicans rejected the Senate’s deal and refused to bring it to the floor for a vote. Instead, they sent back their own proposal: a bill that extended the department’s funding for 60 days. Senate leaders insisted their plan was the way forward and ignored the short-term patch while House Republicans began a two-week recess, blaming the Senate for the impasse.