Senator Bernie Sanders was seen boarding a first-class flight from Reagan National Airport on Friday afternoon, shortly after the Senate passed a partial Department of Homeland Security funding bill that the House later rejected. President Donald Trump criticized the Senate measure, calling it inappropriate, as the partial shutdown extended into its record-breaking phase. The Senate has adjourned for a two-week recess with no plans to reconvene before April 13.
On Friday, the Senate passed a partial funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security around 2:00 a.m., excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol from the funding. House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to reject it. Minutes after Sanders boarded a 2:49 p.m. flight out of Reagan National Airport in first class, Johnson reiterated his stance. About an hour later, President Trump sided with the House, stating the bill “wasn’t appropriate.” Late Friday night, the House rejected the Senate's proposal and instead passed a measure to fund the entire DHS for 60 days. The Senate adjourned that day for a two-week recess, with no sessions scheduled before its planned return on April 13. By Saturday morning, the partial DHS shutdown had become the longest funding lapse in U.S. history, exceeding the 2025 record. Sanders was not alone in leaving Washington; other senators also departed after the vote. Roughly 20 minutes before his flight, Sanders posted on X criticizing Elon Musk and “the wealthiest people in the world” for their views on AI. On Saturday, he was scheduled to attend a “No Kings” rally in St. Paul, Minnesota, organized to protest Trump. Amid the shutdown, lawmakers faced scrutiny for using perks to bypass long TSA lines, while Delta Air Lines had suspended its special congressional desk.
