House conservatives are quietly grumbling about a new deal between President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats. The agreement funds 97% of the government through September but leaves the Department of Homeland Security on a short leash. Some Republicans fear they have surrendered their leverage to push for hardline immigration policies.
The compromise keeps DHS running only until February 13. This creates a new deadline for high-stakes negotiations on border enforcement. One House Republican granted anonymity was blunt about the strategy. "I don’t think we have any more leverage," he said. "We just shot ourselves in the foot, and nine days later we’ll do it again."
Speaker Mike Johnson admitted to his conference that he was frustrated by the split-funding route. "This is not my preferred route," Johnson told reporters. "But listen, the president agreed with Schumer that they would separate Homeland, and we'll do that, and we'll handle it."
Senate Democrats walked away from earlier plans that would have funded the agency for a full year. They are demanding new guardrails on ICE following recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis. These demands include body-worn camera mandates and strict de-escalation training.
Rep. Ralph Norman expressed skepticism about the two-week extension. "They’ll use the two weeks to demagogue Kristi Noem," Norman warned. "They’ll use the two weeks to say how bad everything is with ICE."
White House officials insist the President will not waver on his immigration mandate. They argue that Democrats should not hold disaster relief funding hostage over these policy disputes. The clock is now ticking toward the mid-February deadline.