House Speaker Mike Johnson Faces GOP Revolt Amid Critical Deadlines and FISA Lapse Threat

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is navigating a chaotic "hell week" as internal GOP divisions threaten to derail his legislative priorities before critical deadlines. The collapse of a proposed House Rules Committee vote on Monday night has frozen action on major bills, including a long-term extension of Section 702 of FISA, the farm bill, and a Senate-passed budget reconciliation package to fund ICE and Border Patrol.

Why this matters: The standoff risks a government shutdown, a lapse in surveillance authorities, and delayed paychecks for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees. Conservative holdouts continue to demand changes to the FISA extension, while House Republicans resist advancing a DHS funding bill without guarantees for ICE and CBP funding.

State of Play: Legislative Gridlock Paralyzes the House

The House Rules Committee failed to advance a rule Monday night, halting progress on all major legislation this week. While another attempt may occur Tuesday, a packed schedule—including a rare address by King Charles III—is compressing available time.

Changes made last week to the FISA proposal have failed to satisfy conservative skeptics, who insist on adding warrant requirements. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios after Monday’s GOP conference meeting that he remains unconvinced, stating, "I don’t know what it will take to get me on board. They should just redo it."

The FISA program is set to expire Thursday night without an extension. Some members suggest a short-term patch may be necessary to avert disruption.

Senate Pressure and DHS Funding Stalemate

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has signaled the Senate could move first on a FISA extension to pressure the House. Johnson has also criticized the Senate-passed DHS funding bill, citing "problematic language" that eliminates funding for ICE and CBP.

House Republicans widely oppose advancing a DHS funding bill before securing ICE and CBP funding through reconciliation. Their reluctance stems from distrust of Senate Republicans, with members fearing the Senate could abandon commitments if the House acts first.

Key Concerns: Paychecks and Shutdown Risks

DHS employees face missing a paycheck next week unless Congress passes a spending bill. The impasse has prolonged what is now the longest DHS shutdown in history—lasting 73 days.

Republican Divisions Deepen

"There are very few things that garner the strong support of every member of our conference; that one was roundly rejected." — Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, speaking to Axios on Monday.

"It would be naive in this town to say, 'Trust us, vote to turn all of Homeland [Security] on except for ICE and CBP.'" — Arrington.

The bottom line: The clash between House conservatives and leadership, coupled with Senate dynamics, has created an unsustainable impasse that risks extending the DHS shutdown and disrupting critical surveillance programs.