House Republicans dealt a blow to Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Friday by rejecting a bipartisan Senate-passed funding measure for most of the Department of Homeland Security, exposing deepening rifts within the GOP over fiscal compromises and Trump priorities.

The Senate approved the bill early Friday by voice vote, providing funds for agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard and Transportation Security Administration, but excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and key Customs and Border Protection operations. Democrats had demanded reforms such as requiring agents to wear identification and limiting raids near sensitive sites. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the deal a "joke" and announced plans for a clean funding bill through May 22, claiming coordination with President Donald Trump.

The partial shutdown, now in its 44th day as of Sunday, has led to severe TSA staffing shortages, with over 40% callouts and long airport lines. Trump signed an executive action Friday to pay TSA workers using redirected funds, but the broader impasse persists.

This clash follows weeks of conservative fury directed at Thune over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a House-passed bill mandating proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. Trump has demanded its passage, vowing not to sign other legislation until it reaches his desk.

House conservatives including Reps. Keith Self (R-TX), Greg Steube (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Michael Cloud (R-TX) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) accused Thune of staging a "doomed" show vote without pursuing a talking filibuster to bypass the 60-vote threshold. Self charged Thune with "gaslighting the American people," while Ogles demanded he "grow a set of balls" and nuke the filibuster.

Thune, leading a 53-47 Republican Senate, scheduled floor debate for mid-March but insisted Republicans lack votes for rule changes, calling himself a "clear-eyed realist." He dismissed the pressure as an echo chamber from a "paid influencer ecosystem."

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), a SAVE co-sponsor, urged aggressive action and warned of political consequences for opponents, prompting Thune to respond during a GOP briefing. Some Senate Republicans like Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) opposed advancing the bill, further complicating passage.

Thune aides highlighted successes like swift Cabinet confirmations and tax cuts, while most Senate GOP backs his strategy to expose Democrats on voter ID. Johnson has largely defended Thune but the DHS rejection signals growing House impatience.

As the shutdown drags into its record length, conservatives view Thune's negotiations with Democrats as emblematic of establishment caution clashing with demands for bold action on election integrity and border security.