Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that House and Senate Republicans had reached an agreement to secure funding for the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

The agreement excludes funding for the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but includes provisions for these agencies to be funded for four years through an "One Big Bargain Bill (OBBB)".

According to The New York Times, Republican lawmakers are expected to begin the process of approving the budget as early as Thursday morning.

In a joint statement, the two leaders said, "We are grateful for and echo the President's determination to fully end the Democrat-led shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. In accordance with the President's directive, Senate and House Republicans will fully support the entire budget of the Department of Homeland Security through two pathways: the appropriations process and the reconciliation process."

The statement also read, "We acted with the belief that Democrats would finally come to their senses and understand that it is reckless and extremely dangerous to cut funding for the Department of Homeland Security while our country is in the midst of international armed conflict. However, it has now become clear that Democrats prioritize loyalty to their radical left constituents above all else, including their power of the purse. This means open borders and protection for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes."

The leaders stated that while they had hoped Democrats would agree to a 60-day continuing resolution in the House, such a proposal was no longer on the table.

They declared, "The Republican-controlled Congress will fully reopen that department (Department of Homeland Security), pay all federal employees, and particularly fund the immigration enforcement and border security necessary for the next three years so that law enforcement activities can continue without restriction."

They added, "In return, Democrats will once again clearly demonstrate to the American people their stance of open borders and allowing undocumented immigrants who commit crimes to remain in the United States."

NNP Chief Reporter Sung Ku Hong / Special Correspondent for this newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com