DHS at center of progressive revolt as House advances $80B spending package

The House of Representatives passed a roughly $80 billion spending package Wednesday evening, taking a significant step toward averting a government shutdown at the end of this month.

The package combines two of Congress’ 12 annual appropriations bills in what’s called a "minibus." It covers funding for the State Department and related national security, as well as federal financial services and general government operations.

The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in a 341-79 vote.

Glaring questions still remain, however, over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as progressives threaten to withhold support from any such bill unless it's paired with significant reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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The push comes from the left in response to an ICE agent shooting 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen who was driving her car when it made physical contact with a law enforcement official who then fatally shot her.

Partisan divisions have erupted over the narrative, with GOP officials like DHS Secretary Kristi Noem saying the agent acted in self-defense, while Democrats on Capitol Hill have called for criminal investigations.

DHS funding was initially expected to be part of this minibus, but House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters earlier this week he would like to see the bill as part of the final package that's also expected to include funding for the Department of War, Department of Transportation, Department of Labor, the Education Department and Health and Human Services, among others.

But the top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told reporters Tuesday she wanted to see DHS funding as a separate bill.

"It's got to be by itself," DeLauro said. "It's got to be separate."

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Meanwhile, the Congressional Progressive Caucus is formally threatening to oppose any DHS funding that does not change immigration enforcement policy, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., announced.

"Our caucus members will oppose all funding for immigration enforcement in any appropriation bills until meaningful reforms are enacted to end militarized policing practices. We cannot, and we should not continue to fund agencies that operate with impunity," she told reporters.

But the bill that passed Wednesday did so with wide bipartisan support, as expected.

All federal spending bills after last year's government shutdown are a product of bipartisan discussions between the House and Senate.

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The recent package totals just over $76 billion in federal funds and is now headed to the Senate for its approval before reaching President Donald Trump's desk.

The State Department and national security bill includes $850 million for an "America First Opportunity Fund," aimed at giving the secretary of state funding to respond to potential unforeseen circumstances.

Both Republicans and Democrats touted different victories in the legislation, with a summary by House Appropriations Committee Republicans stating the bill supports "President Trump’s America First foreign policy by eliminating wasteful spending on DEI or woke programming, climate change mandates, and divisive gender ideologies."

Democrats said the bill "supports women globally" by "protecting funding for bilateral family planning and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)" and pointed to $6.8 billion for a new account "that supports the activities previously funded under Development Assistance." 

The bill also provides millions in security assistance for Israel and Taiwan, among other global partners across the world.

The latter bill provides just over $13 billion for the U.S. Treasury for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, while also including a provision that stops the IRS "from targeting individuals or groups for exercising their First Amendment rights or ideological beliefs," according to Republicans.

It also provides $872 million for the Executive Office of the President and $9.69 billion in discretionary funding for the Federal Judiciary.

Across the Capitol, the Senate is expected to vote on and pass the previous three-bill funding package on Thursday before leaving Washington, D.C., for a weeklong recess.

Neither side appears willing to thrust the government into another shutdown, with Senate Democrats in particular viewing the package as an opportunity to fund several of their priorities. But there is a growing consensus that a short-term funding patch will be needed to allow lawmakers to finish work on the thornier DHS bill.

"Homeland is obviously the hardest one, and it's possible that, if we can't get agreement, that there could be some sort of CR that funds some of these bills into next year," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said.

Still, bipartisan funding talks are still happening, a stark departure from the last government funding deadline in October. But lawmakers in the upper chamber won't be able to tackle the two-bill package until they return toward the end of the month.