{"id":2585523,"date":"2026-03-31T06:25:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-shutdown-stress-tests-thunes-relationship-with-mike-johnson\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T06:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:28:00","slug":"dhs-shutdown-stress-tests-thunes-relationship-with-mike-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-shutdown-stress-tests-thunes-relationship-with-mike-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"DHS shutdown stress-tests Thune&#8217;s relationship with Mike Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdhs-shutdown-stress-tests-thunes-relationship-with-mike-johnson%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585523&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nancy-pelosi-blames-president-trump-climate-change-for-migrant-surge\/\" title=\"Nancy Pelosi blames President Trump, \u2018climate change\u2019 for migrant surge\">partial government shutdown<\/a> over Department of Homeland Security funding is widening a rift within Republicans, focusing on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson as they struggle to reopen DHS. The Senate\u2019s approach woudl leave ICE unfunded but fund DHS through a GOP-only package, while the House has passed an eight-week DHS funding patch that funds the entire department. Democrats and the White House want full DHS funding restored, and the disagreement is fueling intraparty tensions and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >cross-chamber strain<\/a>, even as some Republicans push for a shorter or different patch. Despite the friction,Thune and johnson have not broken entirely and maintain ongoing dialog,though their past cooperation has been tested by new disputes and tactical moves,such as thune\u2019s attempt to insert language permitting Senate-only lawsuits,which Johnson later repealed. The White House has urged returning to Washington to reopen DHS entirely, and Trump has indicated unilateral steps to fund TSA to ease pressures from airport delays. With a two-week recess looming and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/capitol-hill-staffers-frustrated-with-shutdown-inconveniences\/\" title=\"Capitol Hill staffers frustrated with ... inconveniences\">record-long shutdown<\/a>, lawmakers face uncertain prospects and potential paths, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-senators-threaten-to-sink-bipartisan-infrastructure-plan-after-bidens-ultimatum\/\" title=\"Republican Senators Threaten To Sink Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan After Biden\u2019s Ultimatum\">party-line bill<\/a> or a broader reconciliation approach, to resolve the impasse. Schumer and Jeffries have largely stayed aligned on DHS funding, providing some Democratic cohesion amid Republican splits.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DHS shutdown stress-tests John Thune&rsquo;s relationship with Mike Johnson<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2547384\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A partial government shutdown is driving a new wedge between Senate Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) and his House counterpart, Speaker <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA), as Republicans struggle to find a way to reopen the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\/\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Thune and Johnson have stayed in &ldquo;frequent&rdquo; communication since the House dramatically rejected a Senate-brokered deal to reopen DHS on Friday, according to a source familiar with the discussions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4509818\/congress-pressure-two-week-recess-record-dhs-shutdown\/\">Thune under pressure to end two-week vacation amid record-long DHS shutdown<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4508870\/andy-kim-democrats-schumer-endorsement\/\">Sen. Andy Kim latest Democrat to eschew Schumer leadership endorsement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4508650\/ted-cruz-2028-bid-2026-gop-success\/\">Cruz sidesteps 2028 talk, ties political future to GOP midterm success<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>But so far, there is no sign Republicans will be able to get on the same page. Thune, after weeks of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4503493\/john-thune-rejects-new-dhs-funding-offer-democrats-not-even-close\/\">fruitless negotiations<\/a> with Democrats, settled for a deal that simply leaves Immigration and Customs Enforcement unfunded, with the goal of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4505934\/senate-sends-dhs-bill-house-without-ice-funding\/\">passing more money<\/a> for the embattled agency <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4507531\/republicans-risk-big-beautiful-bill-divisions-fresh-reconciliation-push\/\">through a GOP-only megabill<\/a>. The House <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4507334\/house-passes-eight-week-dhs-deal-to-punt-shutdown-back-to-senate\/\">swiftly tossed out that deal<\/a>, passing an eight-week patch that funds all of DHS instead.<\/p>\n<p>The dynamic flips on its head what until now had been a Republican versus Democrat dispute over how, if at all, DHS should be reformed after the death of two protesters in Minneapolis by immigration officers. And Democrats, who until recently had been <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4494854\/white-house-dhs-government-shutdown-ice-self-identify\/\">trading offers with the White House<\/a>, have been eager to point to the infighting to cast blame squarely on Republicans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Republicans shouldn&rsquo;t look to Senate Democrats to fix their own internal caucus problems,&rdquo; said a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"384\">Chuck Schumer <\/a>(D-NY).<\/p>\n<p>There has not been a total breakdown between Johnson and Thune, who gave each other a heads-up before their respective bills were brought to the House and Senate floor. They&rsquo;ve also been careful not to feed into the idea of a wider rift, with Johnson blaming Schumer for the diverging strategy in a Friday press conference.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the disagreement is fueling cross-chamber tensions that were <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4494817\/house-gop-hardliners-revolt-senate-save-america-act\/\">already boiling over<\/a> regarding the SAVE America Act, a House-passed election bill that has stalled in the Senate due to the filibuster. And though he wouldn&rsquo;t criticize Thune by name, Johnson called the legislative compromise Senate Republicans brokered <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4506889\/mike-johnson-splits-thune-eight-week-dhs-funding-bill\/\">a &ldquo;joke&rdquo;<\/a> and told reporters that the House won&rsquo;t accept anything short of full funding for DHS.<\/p>\n<p>House Republicans say that granting Democrats the option to leave part of DHS unfunded would set a bad precedent. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, note that Democrats have repeatedly rejected the sort of proposal that passed the House on Friday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The White House has yielded some ground on ICE reforms, but not enough to break the impasse with Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to the dispute is the fact that both chambers are now out for a two-week recess, meaning a shutdown that has already lasted 45 days, a new record, could eclipse two months.<\/p>\n<p>The White House, which is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4507112\/trump-sides-with-johnson-over-thune-in-senate-house-brawl-to-end-dhs-shutdown\/\">taking the House&rsquo;s side<\/a> on DHS funding, called on lawmakers to return to Washington to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4509576\/white-house-congress-return-washington-recess-fund-dhs\/\">reopen DHS &ldquo;entirely&rdquo;<\/a> on Monday, though no plan to cancel the recess appears imminent.<\/p>\n<p>DHS funding is not the first time Thune and Johnson have publicly broken with one another. <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">The two worked through&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3282431\/senate-horse-race-house-trump-agenda\/\">tactical disagreements<\/a>&nbsp;over how to pass Trump&rsquo;s tax law last year and, more recently, navigated a spat over compensating senators surveilled by former special counsel Jack Smith.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Thune succeeded in &ldquo;jamming&rdquo; the House with language that allowed senators, but not House members, to sue for $500,000 in damages. Johnson then successfully <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4447875\/mike-johnson-open-arctic-frost-payout-deal-lindsey-graham\/\">repealed that language<\/a> in a January government funding bill.<\/p>\n<p>On the SAVE America Act, Johnson ushered the bill through the House in February and has since joined President Donald Trump in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4499421\/thune-trump-relationship-strong-save-america-rough-patch\/\">calling on the Senate to act<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans will be able to escape the worst effects of intraparty fighting after Trump said he would pay Transportation Security Administration workers unilaterally &ldquo;as long as we need to&rdquo; on Sunday. The shutdown had caused a spike in wait times at airports around the country, prompting the White House to seek a pressure release valve as hundreds of employees called out sick.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If Congress can move quickly, the dispute will also become moot once Republicans craft the party-line bill <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4502479\/senate-gop-down-payment-save-america-act-party-line-bill\/\">Thune is envisioning<\/a>. On Monday, Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-hoeven\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"5518\">John Hoeven<\/a> (R-ND), a senior appropriator, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/alexanderbolton\/status\/2038629932129980683?s=20\">told reporters<\/a> that the legislation could fund ICE through the remainder of Trump&rsquo;s term.<\/p>\n<p>That money could be paired with funding for the war in Iran and possibly elements of the SAVE America Act, making reconciliation, the budget process they are using, the catch-all for overcoming Democratic resistance.<\/p>\n<p>For now, the party has descended into intraparty sniping over next steps, with House conservatives complaining that Republicans did not try to pass the House funding patch by unanimous consent at a Monday pro forma session. Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chris-coons\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1885\">Chris Coons<\/a> (D-DE) was on hand to block that request, should Republicans have attempted it.<\/p>\n<p>In a sign of a rift within the Senate itself, Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"737\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LindseyGrahamSC\/status\/2038672244130394305?s=20\">called<\/a> on Republicans to pass a 60-day funding patch, positioning himself with Trump and the House.<\/p>\n<p>The infighting defies months of cooperation between Thune and Johnson, who stayed in lockstep in a prior shutdown centered on healthcare and today meet once a week, on Wednesdays, to discuss strategy.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4499421\/thune-trump-relationship-strong-save-america-rough-patch\/\"><strong>THUNE SAYS TRUMP RELATIONSHIP STILL &lsquo;STRONG&rsquo; DESPITE SAVE ACT ROUGH PATCH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Schumer and his House counterpart, Minority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hakeem-jeffries\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"790\">Hakeem Jeffries<\/a> (D-NY), have remained aligned on DHS funding, keeping their caucuses united despite weeks of pressure from airport delays.<\/p>\n<p>But the two have at times broken with one another, with Jeffries notoriously offering a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3350872\/hakeem-jeffries-brooklyn-medicaid-backs-chuck-schumer\/\">delayed vote of confidence<\/a> in Schumer last year, when he and a handful of Senate Democrats helped Republicans avoid a government shutdown at the outset of Trump&rsquo;s second term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DHS funding dispute strains Thune-Johnson ties<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2585524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25283662176082.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7492,5123,23610],"class_list":["post-2585523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dhs","tag-shutdown","tag-thune"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25283662176082.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585523"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585527,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585523\/revisions\/2585527"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}