House Majority Leader Steve Scalise stated that some senators "expressed buyer’s remorse" over the Senate bill to fund only part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Scalise made these statements on Sunday on ABC News' "This Week," referring to legislation that sought to fund the DHS amidst a potential shutdown. Scalise criticized the Senate bill, noting that, according to his analysis, it defunded over 25% of the baseline operations of DHS at a time of heightened threat.

Scalise emphasized that the House of Representatives had passed four bills to fully fund the department. The latest bill passed by the House, which was short-term in nature, aimed to ensure that all DHS employees would receive their pay, even though it did not meet all Republican objectives.

On Friday, the House passed a Republican bill to fully fund DHS for eight weeks. This action followed GOP leaders' rejection of a bill passed by the Senate that excluded funding for immigration enforcement. The House vote followed a turbulent day on Capitol Hill, which came after House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to fund the majority of DHS while withholding money for immigration enforcement operations under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol (CBP).

Senate Majority Leader John Thune brought the deal bill to the floor early Friday, with it passing by unanimous consent.

DHS has been in hot water in recent months due to former President Trump's immigration agenda, but tempers flared toward the department after the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January by federal immigration authorities. This event, along with immigration policies, has contributed to a climate of increased scrutiny and debate over DHS policies and funding. The situation reflects the complex political dynamics and divisions within Congress over border security and immigration, leading to tense negotiations and crucial legislative decisions.

The passage of bills and debates over DHS funding underscore the importance of national security and immigration law enforcement on the current political agenda.