Congressional leaders strike deal on Homeland Security funding ahead of shutdown deadline

Congressional leaders have struck a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the remainder of fiscal year 2024, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill, closing out the six bills due by Friday’s shutdown deadline.

Negotiators are still working out the details and legislative text of the DHS agreement, the source said, but the DHS legislation will be a full-year bill and not a stopgap, which lawmakers were eyeing over the weekend.

Punchbowl News was the first to report the development.

The deal on DHS funding comes as members are racing the clock to stave off a partial government shutdown by Friday’s midnight deadline.

Congress, however, could still find itself needing to pass a short-term continuing resolution before Friday to keep the lights on in Washington as lawmakers finish considering the funding legislation. House Republicans have been adamant that they need at least 72 hours to review any bills before voting on the House floor, and Senate procedure could draw out the consideration process into the weekend.

Six full-year appropriations bills are due on Friday, funding DHS; the Pentagon; Financial Services and General Government; the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Legislative Branch; and State-Foreign Operations.

Congressional leaders had hoped to unveil text for the bills over the weekend, but disagreements over DHS funding delayed that timeline. Lawmakers have had a deal on the five other appropriations bills.

Leaders were initially looking to move a continuing resolution for DHS, amid bitter partisan divisions over border security and immigration. Republicans, however, said late-stage involvement from the White House in funding talks threw the weekend timeline off course.

Democrats had been pushing for more funding for pay equity for the Transportation Security Administration, a source familiar told The Hill at the time, while Republicans wanted more money for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention and enforcement efforts.

DEVELOPING.