Republican leaders face mounting pressure to resolve a prolonged DHS funding lapse before federal workers miss paychecks and security operations weaken.

On Capitol Hill, for ten weeks Republicans have been seeking a way to resolve the funding crisis at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Now, with federal workers – including U.S. Secret Service agents who guarded the president during the evening incident in Washington – risking not to get paid, pressure on the party’s leaders is mounting for a quick decision.

The Republican-led Congress returns to Washington on Monday evening with a slate of contentious votes ahead, including DHS funding, but there are also other bills that need to pass and have not yet found enough support in the House’s narrow majority.

“We’re having a terrible week.”

– An anonymous source

The hardest part for Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune is to end the 72-day DHS shutdown, which jeopardizes pay for thousands of federal workers, including an agent who took a bullet to the vest during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner near the White House this week.

DHS has currently funded workers through a $10 billion emergency fund, but the funds are being depleted quickly, aides warn. The expectation is that workers will receive one more paycheck from this fund, after which funding will run out.

“We need to push DHS funding, because this is urgent. As DHS Secretary said, we have no money. It will run out at the end of this week. Democrats are not handling this fairly on this. This is very dangerous, as demonstrated on Saturday evening. We have to do our job,” Johnson said in response to questions about whether he would take further steps to fund this week.

The DHS funding crisis is turning into an almost intractable task for Johnson and the party’s House faction: conservatives are outraged that he allowed partial funding of the department without allocating funds for immigration policy. This has spurred attempts to pass a separate, technically complex package funding only immigration services and border protection, but it has stalled due to demands from the ultra-conservative wing of the party.

The shooting during one of Washington’s most visible annual events on Saturday further complicated negotiations: some conservatives, including Chip Roy, demanded funds for the so-called “secure room” in the White House to ensure security at the president’s events. Many of them tied DHS funding to reforms in federal elections and domestic policy ahead of the midterms.

The DHS shutdown, already the longest in history, threatens serious consequences for officers responsible for guarding U.S. borders.

“The House will have difficulty making a decision without addressing Section 702 of the FISA Act – the foreign intelligence authorities overseas.”

– Don Bacon

One source said that agency officials are growing concerned about potentially serious consequences if the House does not accelerate funding for DHS in the coming days.

Conservatives are increasingly weighing greater influence over FISA and considering changes to Section 702. But meeting the right-wing demands without Democratic support is extremely difficult, so leaders will have to seek a compromise or a coalition. Most sources within GOP leadership believe another major bill may not gain support before the midterms, and many conservatives doubt Johnson’s promises about “Reconciliation 3.0,” which could delay DHS funding if there are no additional guarantees.

Moves around DHS are likely to last until clear decisions emerge in the legislative agenda.

This material was prepared by correspondents from various desks.