Congress
Trump: Unlikely to be happy with ‘any deal’ on DHS
President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that he plans to take a “hard look” at the emerging DHS funding deal but that he is unlikely to be “happy” with any agreement Republicans strike with Democrats.
It was the first time the president has weighed in publicly on the brewing agreement to fund the agency, as the White House signaled earlier Tuesday that the yet-to-be-finalized solution “seems to be acceptable.” A White House official cautioned that talks are ongoing to fund DHS more than five weeks after money lapsed.
“Well I’m going to look at it, and we’re gonna take a good hard look at it. I want to support Republicans. Sometimes it’s awfully hard to get votes when you have Democrats that don’t want to have voter ID, they don’t want to have proof of citizenship, they don’t want to do anything about men playing in women’s sports,” the president said from the Oval Office after Markwayne Mullin was sworn in to lead DHS.
The president also said he didn’t want to comment on the deal until he reviews it, adding that “they are getting fairly close. But I think any deal they make, I’m pretty much not happy with it.”
Trump’s comments leave room for him to ultimately reject or support the emerging framework. Conservatives, who are skeptical of the potential agreement because it leaves out parts of ICE, are strategizing behind the scenes, according to three people with knowledge of their efforts granted anonymity to discuss them. Senate Republicans, in particular, are bracing for their right flank to try to get in Trump’s ear to tank the deal or demand changes, two of the people said.
And House GOP leadership is privately panning the forming agreement, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. Some members argue it kills their leverage to force Democrats to fully fund DHS — and risks leaving them with a GOP revolt.
Speaker Mike Johnson, asked if he supported the forming deal in a brief interview Tuesday leaving the Capitol, replied: “I haven’t seen the details.”
Asked if it could get through the House, Johnson said: “Stay tuned.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters he hadn’t seen details of the forming deal yet but argued Democrats should fully fund DHS. He also declined to say whether the possible deal to leave out some ICE enforcement money could pass the House amid a GOP hard-liner rebellion.
“Those that are contorting themselves to do this, it’s just beyond stupid,” House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said. “Just fund DHS, right?”
House GOP leaders are planning to hold a third vote on the stalled DHS funding bill that fully funds ICE on Thursday in an attempt to pressure Democrats.
Republican senators met with the president at the White House late Monday after he publicly rejected DHS funding without the SAVE America Act alongside it. The senators left the White House and began working on the framework, which includes an effort to pass some portions of the SAVE America Act through reconciliation.
Mullin said in the Oval Office that Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is “committed to making sure we get reconciliation through.”
“Because there’s nothing more important than the SAVE America Act,” Mullin said. “I mean, that’s what the American people want.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego on Wednesday called former Attorney General Merrick Garland a “coward” over his handling of prosecuting Jan. 6 insurrectionists.
Speaking at an event with Economic Liberties, the Arizona Democrat said it “took way too damn long” to hold anyone accountable for the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
“We didn’t move fast enough in holding Jan. 6 Republicans, the president, everyone up and down the organizations that were helping out, accountable,” Gallego said, adding that he “100 percent” blames Garland for not being more aggressive.
Despite more than 1,500 people being charged with crimes for their participation in the deadly attack on the Capitol, some Democrats were displeased with Garland’s prosecution tactics.
Though Trump was eventually indicted on federal charges, some Democrats accused Garland of waiting too long to launch an investigation into Trump. Garland announced the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith in 2022, citing Trump’s reelection bid as part of his decision to begin the investigation.
“I think he was a coward, and if I could ever take down his photo from the U.S. Attorney’s office, I would gladly do it,” Gallego said of Garland. “He was willing to sacrifice our democracy for the institution of the DOJ. There is no DOJ without democracy.”
The remarks from Gallego echo his previous criticism of Garland for his handling of Jan. 6 prosecutions, including when he was still in office.
“I’m just not seeing the urgency from the attorney general,” Gallego told CNN in 2022. “He’s thinking more about protecting the institution of the Department of Justice. And I appreciate that, but he has to be thinking about protecting the institution of democracy.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats have submitted their latest proposal for pairing Department of Homeland Security funding with immigration enforcement policy changes.
“Democrats sent Republicans our counteroffer on legislation to reopen DHS, pay TSA workers, while at the same time rein in ICE with commonsense guardrails,” Schumer said, adding that the offer “contains some of the very same asks Democrats have been talking about now for months” on changes to immigration enforcement tactics.
Schumer met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Wednesday to discuss the funding stalemate.
President Donald Trump called on Congress Wednesday to quickly extend a key surveillance program amid a Republican rebellion that is threatening to tank the effort ahead of an April 20 deadline.
“When used properly, [the program] is an effective tool to keep Americans safe,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday. “For these reasons, I have called for a clean 18-month extension.”
He emphasized that restrictions included in the last reauthorization of the Section 702 spy program should remain in place. Trump also argued that the ongoing war against Iran should lead Congress to act quickly given the program, which allows intelligence agencies to monitor communications abroad without a warrant, is “extremely important to our Military.”
“With the ongoing successful Military activities against the Terrorist Iranian Regime, it is more important than ever that we remain vigilant, PROTECT our Homeland, Troops, and Diplomats stationed abroad, and maintain our ability to quickly stop bad actors seeking to cause harm to our People and our Country,” Trump said.
Blue Light News previously reported that the White House had privately communicated Trump’s support for a straight extension to key congressional leaders.
Speaker Mike Johnson pushed House Republican hard-liners who want new restrictions against domestic surveillance to back the extension Trump wants, including in a closed-door House GOP meeting Wednesday morning. Several Republicans still raised concerns about the “clean” reauthorization plan, including Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia.
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