Johnson to address Senate Republicans amid escalating tensions

"The big picture: House conservatives increasingly view the Senate as the main obstacle, while Senate Republicans deride what they characterize as unrealistic demands from House members. The dynamic has fueled repeated standoffs among congressional Republicans. "I hate the Senate," Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) told Axios late last month amid FISA disagreements. "There are like two and a half good senators.""

"Catch up quick: The House passed the Senate's DHS funding legislation just before they left for recess, a bill Johnson had previously called a "joke." House conservatives revolted over the Senate's two-track strategy, which funded DHS while postponing additional ICE and Border Patrol money to reconciliation. Several House Republicans privately and publicly said the move deepened mistrust of Senate Republicans. Johnson and Thune openly clashed over the strategy last month after Johnson said he wanted to make changes."

"What's next: Republicans now face a high-stakes push to pass a second reconciliation package with border funding by President Trump's self-imposed June 1 deadline. Last week, Senate Republicans moved to include $1 billion in security funding for Trump's ballroom but the move has already hit resistance among some moderates. It will be a politically tricky vote that Democrats are eager to frame as an affordability contrast."

"Another flashpoint: Republicans still have no clear path to a long-term Section 702 FISA extension. Congress has already approved two short-term extensions of the warrantless surveillance program without resolving major disputes. The House passed a three-year exten"

Disputes among Republicans span ICE and Border Patrol funding, the SAVE Act, and a long-term extension of FISA. Johnson is expected to stress open communication as Republicans prepare reconciliation packages. House conservatives increasingly view the Senate as the primary barrier, while Senate Republicans criticize House demands as unrealistic. This mismatch has produced repeated standoffs. House conservatives revolted when the Senate used a two-track approach that funded DHS while postponing additional ICE and Border Patrol money to reconciliation, deepening mistrust. Republicans now must pass a second reconciliation package with border funding by President Trump’s June 1 deadline. Senate Republicans also sought $1 billion in security funding for Trump’s ballroom, facing resistance. A clear path to a long-term Section 702 FISA extension remains unresolved, with only short-term extensions approved so far.

Read at Axios