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Congratulations to everyone who has waited in a long airport security line over the past week: You’ve finally gotten Congress’ attention. Nearly a month and a half after funding expired for the Department of Homeland Security—an agency that includes the Transportation Security Administration—a path has emerged in the Senate toward ending the partial shutdown.

The path, in short, is to fix airport lines now by teeing up what later could be the biggest legislative fight of the year. Just at the point when members of Congress and senators begin to check out of governance mode ahead of election season, Republicans are considering another party-line megabill that could fully fund ICE, pay for Donald Trump’s Iran war, and cut a check for whatever other items Republicans want to squeeze in before they risk losing control of Congress.

The developments to end the shutdown started over the weekend with a rejected offer.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune presented Trump with an plan to end the DHS shutdown. Congress could pass a bill funding the department with the exception of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Then, the Republicans could quickly move to a reconciliation bill—a vehicle that is not subject to the 60-vote filibuster—to fund ICE on their own. That would allow the party to get airport lines moving again, first, then deliver ICE its funding without having to agree to immigration enforcement reforms that Democrats have been demanding.

Trump said no. He insisted that no deals be cut with Democrats until Republicans had figured out a way to pass the SAVE America Act, the GOP’s flagship elections law that requires photo ID at the polls and proof of citizenship to register to vote. That bill has been under consideration on the Senate floor since last week, but it’s entirely for show: There’s no path to the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster for it, and Republicans don’t have the support among themselves to nuke or skirt the filibuster in order to pass........

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