Spokesman Mike Johnson said the Senate-passed Homeland Security funding bill contains “problematic” language and will have to be revised before the House can vote on it, deepening a shutdown that has already cost the Transportation Security Administration more than 1,100 officers, Politico reported.
Johnson called “problematic” language in the Senate-passed DHS bill
The US Department of Homeland Security shutdown, now more than ten weeks old, shows no signs of ending anytime soon. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate unanimously on April 2 is not ready for a House vote in its current form and that a revised version will be needed before Congress can move forward, according to Politico.
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“It has some problematic language because it was written casually,” Johnson told reporters. “We have a modified version that I think will be much better for both chambers.
The issue centers on a passage in the Senate bill that specifically zeroes out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Those agencies are to be funded through a separate party-line budget reconciliation measure, but hardline House conservatives are calling for the language to be removed entirely from the bipartisan bill, saying it would effectively “orphan” funding for immigration enforcement.
The complication is significant: Removing that language would require the Senate to pass the bill a third time and could draw objections from Democrats who have insisted on including new restrictions on immigration enforcement in any final deal.
TSA officer Exodus raises the alarm ahead of the World Cup
Long downtime takes a measurable toll on airport security. More than 1,110 Transportation Security Administration officers have resigned since the funding shortfall began on Feb. 14, according to a TSA spokesman who confirmed the numbers to Politico on Monday. Just a week earlier, that figure was 830, suggesting the pace of departures is accelerating.
The timing is of particular concern given that the FIFA World Cup begins in June in US host cities. The TSA warned that replacement officers require four to six months of training to “perform regular airport duties,” meaning any personnel brought in now will not be fully functional before the tournament begins.
As of the end of March 2026, the TSA employed a total of approximately 50,000 officers, according to the White House.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin previously acknowledged that the department is drawing emergency funding approved by President Donald Trump through executive actions from last year’s Republican spending legislation. But that money is expected to dry up in the first week of May if the shutdown continues, raising the prospect of further disruptions to airport security lines.
Republican Langworthy interrupts, calls for immediate vote
Political pressure on Johnson intensified Monday when Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy, a New York congressman who sits on the House Rules Committee and is considered a close Johnson ally, publicly urged the speaker to bring the Senate-passed bill to an immediate House vote.
In a letter obtained by Politico, Langworthy cited Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as the catalyst for urgent action.
“There is no time to delay. As the American people saw in full force with the attack surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this weekend, our country remains at risk,” Langworthy wrote. “While we have considerable work ahead of us to fully fund immigration enforcement through the reconciliation process, we should make clear that we are committed to delivering a solution in the shortest possible time.”
Johnson and Republican leadership argued that movement on the Senate bill should wait until the House moves forward on a parallel measure to reconcile immigration agencies. However, this sequencing strategy is facing growing opposition from within their own ranks.
The shutdown parallels draw comparisons with the 2024 numbers
The extent of the TSA’s attrition during the current shutdown is already on par with the 43-day federal shutdown that occurred last fall, during which approximately 1,110 TSA officers left the agency, representing a 25% increase in the department compared to the equivalent period in 2024. The current shutdown has now far exceeded the duration of the previous episode.
