U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, slammed House Republicans for rejecting the Senate’s passed measure to fund the DHS without ICE, which would end the Homeland Security shutdown and alleviate the shortage of TSA agents and growing delays at airports across the country.
McGovern said today: “Republicans cannot govern. In fact, the American people should be able to sue you for malpractice. I want to say to the American people that if you woke up this morning not knowing who to blame for this shutdown, you will go to bed tonight with no doubt on who to blame. It’s House Republicans and Speaker Johnson.”
Rep. McGovern: Republicans cannot govern. In fact, the American people should be able to sue you for malpractice. I want to say to the American people that if you woke up this morning not knowing who to blame for this shutdown, you will go to bed tonight with no doubt on who to… pic.twitter.com/NFjbJk0Bcn
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 27, 2026
Instead of the Senate solution, House Republicans are advancing a short-term stopgap which would fund the DHS, ICE and Border Patrol (for the next two months), which Democrats will not agree to. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called the Senate bill a “joke.”
House Republicans are NOT going to be part of any effort to reopen our borders or stop immigration enforcement.
Chuck Schumer’s gambit last night is a joke.
We must fully fund Homeland Security and support our brave law enforcement heroes who keep Americans safe. pic.twitter.com/IQK6Yg0fJv
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 27, 2026
Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer, President George W. Bush’s former White House Press Secretary, said the problem House Republicans have is that they want everything — to pass the SAVE Act and get additional funding for ICE. But as Fleischer said, “you can’t get everything you want.” Plus, funding for ICE, whose agents — unlike TSA workers — are being paid at present, was already in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Fleischer warned: “If they block this, Republicans in the House now are going to be the ones who own the blame for TSA workers and the delays at the airports.”
Fleischer: If they block this, Republicans in the House now are going to be the ones who own the blame for TSA workers and the delays at the airports. pic.twitter.com/8iq35PpheD
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 27, 2026