House Republicans’ Solo Push Stalls Three Must-Pass Bills

Republican leaders in the House have pursued a “go-it-alone” strategy, excluding Democrats from negotiations on three high-priority measures: a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the omnibus farm bill. The approach aims to secure partisan votes, but internal divisions among Republicans and the absence of Democratic support have delayed the rules process for each proposal, raising doubts about their near-term passage.

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Historically, DHS appropriations, FISA reauthorizations, and farm legislation have advanced with bipartisan backing. The Senate recently approved a bipartisan DHS funding package—unanimously, except for allocations to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. Likewise, past farm bills have combined farm subsidies with nutrition assistance, drawing cross-party cooperation. The current exclusion of Democrats marks a departure from that precedent.

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) leads the Republican effort. Conservative members have pressed for stronger privacy safeguards in the FISA bill and for full DHS funding, including ICE and Border Patrol. Democratic leaders—including Rep. Jim McGovern (MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD), Rep. Jim Himes (CT), Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA), and Rep. Angie Craig (MN)—have voiced opposition to the unilateral process. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has urged the House to consider the Senate’s bipartisan DHS bill. Within the GOP, concerns over pesticide-lawsuit protections and the cost of year-round E-15 ethanol sales have prompted proposals to amend the farm bill.

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• April 20: Original deadline for FISA reauthorization.

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• Early April: Republicans adopt a 10-day stopgap FISA extension, pushing the deadline to April 30.

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• Early May: Potential pay freeze for DHS employees if funding is not secured.

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• Current week: House leadership seeks to bring the three bills to the floor amid ongoing negotiations.

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• Republicans hold a “small majority” in the House, limiting their margin for internal dissent.

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• Rep. Jim Himes estimated a compromise FISA package could have secured roughly 290 votes.

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• The Senate’s DHS funding bill passed unanimously.

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• The farm bill proposes steep cuts to food assistance, previously used to offset tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

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Republican leaders argue that a partisan vote streamlines legislation and reflects the party’s policy priorities. Senate leaders emphasize that a bipartisan DHS package is ready for House consideration. Democratic officials contend that the exclusion of their input violates representative norms and hampers effective governance.

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Democrats criticize the strategy as “ice-ing” them out and lacking compromise. Conservative Republicans have objected to language shielding pesticide manufacturers and to the inclusion of year-round E-15 sales, prompting internal revisions. Both factions claim the current process threatens timely funding for DHS personnel and the delivery of nutrition assistance.

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• “You have a small majority and rather than working with us, you ice us out,” — Rep. Jim McGovern, senior Democrat, House Rules Committee

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• “We went along with [the 10-day extension] because we wanted to have negotiation, but they’re not consulting the Democrats,” — Rep. Jamie Raskin, senior Democrat, House Judiciary Committee

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• “We object to the policy,” — Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair, House Democratic Caucus

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• “All along the way, Republicans have ignored the warning that this was going to be very, very difficult. And the best path was to negotiate with Democrats a bipartisan farm bill,” — Rep. Angie Craig, senior Democrat, Agriculture Committee

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• “There was a package that could have gotten us to 290 [votes], no doubt in my mind.” — Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member, House Intelligence Committee

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Democratic leaders assert that a FISA compromise could have secured 290 votes, yet no formal vote occurred. The likelihood of the farm bill passing remains unclear due to unresolved GOP disagreements over pesticide and E-15 provisions. The exact timeline for a final DHS funding vote is not specified.

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If the House fails to adopt the Senate’s bipartisan DHS bill, DHS employees face a potential pay freeze in early May. Continued stalemate on the FISA extension could require further stopgap measures beyond April 30. The farm bill’s fate hinges on whether GOP leaders can reconcile internal objections and whether Democrats will re-engage in negotiations. A showdown with the Senate on any of the three measures could become inevitable without a bipartisan compromise.

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