Govt. shutdown risk spikes as Senate Democrats vow to tank funding package

By Thérèse Boudreaux
The Center Square

Senate Republicans’ hopes of finishing the government funding process without incident were dashed over the weekend with a second fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis.

Senate Democrats are nearly unanimously pledging to oppose the last government funding package, which includes the Homeland Security appropriations bill funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among other agencies.

The vote, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has been moved to Thursday at the earliest due to the congressional conflict.

Senate Republicans need at least seven Democrats to vote for the six-bill appropriations package to overcome the filibuster. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said Democrats “will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”

Republican leaders are now scrambling to reach a compromise deal before the Jan. 30 deadline, but their options are limited.

If they separate the Homeland Security funding bill from the package to amend it, as Democrats are calling for, they’ll need the House to approve the changes.

The House, however, is out for a scheduled recess and won’t return until next week, when funding for all the agencies covered in the package will have lapsed, triggering a partial government shutdown.

Many Republicans are hoping to broker a deal outside of the government funding process, possibly by introducing separate legislation reining in the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents.

However, dozens of Democratic senators have echoed Schumer’s statement, with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., calling the Homeland Security bill “a non-starter” without significant reforms.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va.; Ed. Markey, D-Mass.; Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Chris Coons, D-Del.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Maizie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and dozens of others also staunchly oppose the current package.

Notably, Democratic senators who previously helped Republicans reopen the government in November are now vowing to vote no, despite the risk of another shutdown. That includes Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

“[DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem refuses to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to account for her stewardship over this reign of terror. I will not reward her arrogance and lawlessness with my vote,” Durbin said.

Even some Republicans – including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., – are calling for investigations, though they haven’t withdrawn support for the bill yet.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said he supports “a full and impartial investigation into the events leading up to the death of Alex Pretti,” while Sen. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., has called for a congressional hearing.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said his “support for funding ICE remains the same,” but that he expects “a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident.”

“Enforcing our immigration laws makes our streets safer. It also protects our national security,” Ricketts added. “But we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble.”