DHS shutdown stress-tests John Thune’s relationship with Mike Johnson

Published March 31, 2026 6:00am ET



A partial government shutdown is driving a new wedge between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and his House counterpart, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), as Republicans struggle to find a way to reopen the Department of Homeland Security.

Thune and Johnson have stayed in “frequent” communication since the House dramatically rejected a Senate-brokered deal to reopen DHS on Friday, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

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