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Congress

Republicans Seethe as DHS Talks Derail After Democrats ‘Retread’ Their Offer

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said there’s “no point” responding to an offer from Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which Republicans labeled as “absurd.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune

Senate Majority Leader John Thune was so frustrated with Democrats’ latest counteroffer on funding the Department of Homeland Security that he said there was “no point” in sending back another Republican offer. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

By Al Weaver and Em Luetkemeyer

March 25, 2026 06:38 p.m.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday accused Democrats of not engaging in good-faith negotiations toward ending the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, leaving Republican leaders at a loss over how to end the 40-day-long impasse.

Republican lawmakers were visibly incensed after Democrats made their latest counteroffer, a package that centered around a list of demands that Democrats have clung to since early February. That came a day after Republicans offered the minority party a deal focused on funding the entirety of DHS outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s removal operations, which Democrats have called for repeatedly in recent weeks.

The latest horse-trading left top Republicans wondering where talks go now, as lawmakers try to strike a deal by the end of the week to avoid DHS employees missing yet another paycheck.