House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted defeat Thursday, telling Republicans he sees no alternative to accepting a Senate compromise that excludes immigration enforcement funding—extending the longest Department of Homeland Security shutdown in American history to at least 61 days.

Johnson’s Apology Tour Continues

During a private conference call Thursday, Johnson confessed to House Republicans that he “lost my temper” during DHS negotiations—unusual for the Louisiana Republican. He acknowledged calling the Senate bill a “crap sandwich” just days earlier, but now sees “no other options” than moving forward with the compromise. The reversal shocked GOP lawmakers who spent weeks publicly trashing the proposal before leaving for recess without a funding plan.

Representative Laurel Lee of Florida questioned how Republicans could maintain credibility after such a dramatic flip. “I don’t know how we can, with a straight face, turn around and take a position that is both completely ideologically inconsistent with what we said a week ago, and incredibly procedurally dangerous,” Lee said on the call. Representative Addison McDowell of North Carolina echoed frustration over publicly opposing the bill only to support it days later.

Senate Deal Leaves ICE Unfunded

The Senate-approved compromise funds most of DHS but specifically excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and portions of Customs and Border Protection—core agencies Republicans claim are essential to border security. Johnson had previously rejected this arrangement, arguing there was no clear path to fund ICE and CBP separately. Now he says the reconciliation process offers justification for accepting the deal, though that legislative procedure typically moves slowly and faces uncertain Senate prospects.

Vote Delayed Until Mid-April—Or Later

Republicans skipped a chance to end the 47-day shutdown Thursday during a pro forma session, choosing instead to delay any vote until the House returns April 14. Johnson left open the possibility of pushing the vote even further, potentially waiting until the Senate shows progress on separate legislation to fund immigration enforcement through reconciliation. Multiple lawmakers urged Johnson to hold out until reconciliation passes first, citing repeated instances where the Senate has “burned” House Republicans on similar promises.

The Department of Homeland Security has now gone without full funding longer than any federal agency in United States history. Johnson told members he “fought vigorously” for Republican principles throughout negotiations, but ultimately ran out of leverage against the Senate’s position.