House conservatives warn Trump-Schumer deal undercuts GOP leverage on DHS funding

By Fox News · Fox News

House conservatives are quietly grumbling about the deal President Donald Trump entered into with Senate Democrats to keep the government open — particularly regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Some Republican lawmakers are concerned that the plan will force them to swallow concessions on immigration enforcement policies that they would not normally entertain while the GOP holds all the levers of power in Washington, albeit with slim majorities. "I don’t think we have any more leverage," one House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital. "We just shot ourselves in the foot, and nine days later we’ll do it again." The compromise between Democrats and the White House funds 97% of the federal government through Sept. 30, but only keeps DHS running until Feb. 13. PLAN TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SURVIVES KEY HOUSE HURDLE AFTER TRUMP QUELLS GOP REBELLION THREATS That's because House and Senate Democrats walked away from an initial compromise that would similarly fund DHS through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2026, in exchange for added guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) like a new body-worn camera mandate and required training on de-escalation and public engagement. The earlier plan passed the House, mostly with only GOP support, but was rejected by Senate Democrats in the wake of unrest in Minneapolis over Trump's immigration crackdown. Federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens there during anti-ICE demonstrations, with tensions escalating thanks to those fatal encounters and angry rhetoric by progressive local officials. Trump's new deal for DHS with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is aimed at giving time for more bipartisan negotiations on a longer-term funding plan. GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AGAIN AFTER DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER DHS FUNDING But the move frustrated some House Republicans all the way up to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who told his conference on a lawmaker-only call Friday tha…