Senate Gavels In, Gavels Out — Adjourns in 30 Seconds, REFUSES to Take Up House DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Drags On
The dysfunction in Washington reached a new low Monday morning.
The U.S. Senate briefly came to order and just as quickly gaveled out in a matter of seconds, adjourning until 7 a.m. Thursday without taking action on the House-passed bill to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
It can be recalled that the House of Representatives on Friday approved a Republican-led measure to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for eight weeks.
The bill passed by a vote of 213–203, with all Republicans voting in favor and three Democrats.
The late-night vote capped a turbulent day on Capitol Hill after House leadership rejected a Senate deal that would have funded most DHS operations while withholding money from key enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol.
But instead of engaging, the Senate effectively ignored the legislation altogether.
The “pro forma” session was presided over by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), who brought the chamber to order and then adjourned it almost immediately, effectively shelving the House GOP bill that would fund all of DHS for the next two months.
WATCH:
JUST IN: The Senate is about to gavel in to a PRO FORMA SESSION while senators are on paid vacation
Pass the House DHS funding bill that includes ICE with unanimous consent!
There is absolutely NO reason we should give in to Chuck Schumer. We have a GOP trifecta, ACT LIKE IT pic.twitter.com/XJjadfEWp4
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 30, 2026
Sen. Mike Lee blasted this political theater in an X post, stating:
This is the Senate’s *second* recess since the DHS shutdown began
The Senate shouldn’t have taken the last one (right after the impasse began) either, but it certainly shouldn’t take this one—a two-week recess 40 days into the crisis
This is insane
And inhumane
The Senate should convene immediately and debate funding proposals until DHS is fully funded
This is the Senate’s *second* recess since the DHS shutdown began
The Senate shouldn’t have taken the last one (right after the impasse began) either, but it certainly shouldn’t take this one—a two-week recess 40 days into the crisis
This is insane
And inhumane
The Senate… https://t.co/AjaSsq7Nkr
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 30, 2026
The Senate just completed a pro forma session
No attempt was made to pass DHS funding by unanimous consent
The Senate must convene now https://t.co/YJvmXpCGJ5
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 30, 2026
According to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, Democrat Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware attended the pro forma session.
BREAKING: The Senate just held a quick pro forma session & adjourned until Thursday. GOP did not introduce the House passed DHS funding bill via unanimous consent, but if they did, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) was here and told us he planned to object/kill it. DHS shutdown continues.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 30, 2026
Chris Coons openly admitted he was physically present in the chamber for one reason: To block any attempt to pass the House bill.
“Just in case a Republican member showed up and said, ‘I ask unanimous consent that we fund ICE and Border Patrol,’ or that ‘we adopt the House bill,’ I was there to object,” Coons said.
“I was here just in case there were some shenanigans, and there was a Democrat needed to block an attempt at taking up and passing the Save act, which would disenfranchise millions of Americans, or full funding for DHS with no reforms for ICE or Border Patrol,” Coons said.
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