HOUSTON, United States

Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Friday rejected a Senate deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, according to media reports.

Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference, said in an interview that the deal the Senate sent over was "garbage" and that the House would not vote on it.

The rejection follows more than 40 days of gridlock in the Senate, with Democrats refusing to fund the department without implementing reforms to immigration agencies, specifically rules for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Senate proposal allocated DHS funding that excluded funds for ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

"It is absolutely offensive to the people we represent that the Senate could send over a bill that doesn’t fund border control and the core components of ICE," Rep. Chip Roy said in a statement.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise added that the House will continue to work through differences between the chambers in approving a DHS funding bill.

"We’ve been consistent all along in the House that we want to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security," Scalise said. "It’s why we passed a bill yesterday to do that. The Senate passed a different bill yesterday that falls short, so we have differences and we’re still working through how to resolve them."

The new deal will have to wait at least several more weeks, as the Senate has adjourned for a two-week recess after sending its latest DHS proposal to the House.

"What the Senate sent over was a terrible deal, made all the more insulting by the fact that they immediately skipped town to start their vacations early," Rep. Brandon Gill said in a statement.

The effects of the lack of a funding deal have been seen across the United States, with major airports in cities such as Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas, experiencing massive lines due to reduced staffing of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.

"If the senators got to get back on their private jets to come back to D.C., so be it," Rep. Byron Donalds said.

"Because, by the way, in America, most senators don’t go through TSA. They get on a PJ (private jet)," he added.

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Friday that House and Senate Democrats support the new funding deal and blamed Republicans for the continued DHS shutdown.

McClain said Republicans are in the process of discussing an alternate plan to bring to the table with congressional Democrats.