Trump to circumvent Congress with order to pay all DHS workers

President Trump said Thursday he would "soon sign an order" to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees. Why it matters: The president's announcement marks the second time in a week he's moved to circumvent Congress to pay federal workers amid the record-long DHS shutdown."I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security," Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday. He added: "Help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard, and do their part to protect and defend our Country."Trump's announcement comes a day after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) announced a plan to end the shutdown. Zoom out: Trump's move to bypass Congress and pay all DHS workers by fiat comes a week after he announced he would sign a similar order to restore pay for TSA workers.The administration's attempts to keep parts of the government open without congressional approval could run afoul of the Antideficiency Act.The 150-year-old law bars spending without appropriations and underscores Congress' constitutional control of the purse.State of play: The Senate earlier Thursday sent its plan to fund DHS — excluding ICE and CBP — back to the House for consideration.Even with Johnson now on board, arm-twisting still could be needed to get the measure through the House.Johnson had previously opposed the plan amid opposition from hardliners in his conference, calling it a "joke."The speaker hasn't said whether he will call lawmakers back to Washington from a two-week recess that began Monday.