Senate Democrats Reassess Support for DHS Funding After Shooting Incident

Senate Democrats are on the verge of disrupting a delicate cease-fire that was intended to prevent a partial government shutdown following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis man by Border Patrol agents on Saturday.

There were already apprehensions among congressional Democrats about backing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, especially with its relevance in Minnesota and beyond. The shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Preti during an immigration operation has further weakened the tenuous consensus among Democrats regarding the funding bill.

Currently, Senate Democrats, spearheaded by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York, are set to oppose the funding bill that’s part of a larger package containing five additional spending measures.

In a statement released on Saturday, Schumer indicated that Democrats are looking to implement “common sense reforms” in the DHS funding proposal. However, he criticized the bill for falling short in addressing what he termed the abuses within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to Republican resistance to President Trump.

“I will vote no,” Schumer affirmed. “Senate Democrats will not support a spending bill if it includes the DHS funding.”

Schumer’s declaration struck a significant blow to Senate Republicans, who have been striving to negotiate a compromise on the DHS measure.

The deadline for government funding is nearing, with January 30 rapidly approaching.

Complicating the situation, an arctic storm is sweeping through parts of the country, resulting in the Senate having to cancel a scheduled vote on Monday.

A senior aide in the Senate mentioned to Fox News Digital that Democrats had expressed no desire to trigger another government shutdown up until Saturday, previously commending the bipartisan approach to funding. “These bills were negotiated with Democrats and they consented to the bill’s content,” the aide noted.

The proposed legislation aims to fully finance the agency while implementing a trigger to halt certain funds unless specified conditions and reporting requirements are met.

Separating this bill from the overall funding package could create additional complications, as any amendments would need to pass through the House as well. With the House set to be closed until February 2, the likelihood of a partial shutdown increases.

Reactions from Senate Democrats

Prior to the shooting, some Senate Democrats, including Chris Murphy and Tim Kaine from Virginia, had already made their opposition clear. Interestingly, Kaine had previously crossed party lines to join Democrats in reopening the government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history last year.

Additionally, senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen from Nevada voiced their concerns about including the DHS bill in a larger package. “My guiding principle is to agree where we can and fight where we must,” Rosen asserted. “I believe now it’s time to push back.”

The House of Representatives is currently in recess following the passage of a two-part spending package on Thursday, which included separate votes for DHS funding and funding for various other departments.

A provision was included in the bill to merge it into a more comprehensive package for Senate consideration. It was anticipated that this would be coupled with other bills from the House awaiting Senate review.

Altering this arrangement before the January 30 deadline would require House members to return early to Washington, overcome various procedural challenges, and re-vote, a prospect that House Republican leaders are currently resisting.

“We have sent all 12 bills to the Senate, but six remain that need the president’s approval,” a House Republican leadership official said. “I don’t plan on returning next week.”

If leadership changes their mind, lawmakers may not be able to return until at least Tuesday, depending on the developing snowstorm.

This timing would push any final vote to Wednesday or Thursday, likely meaning Congress would not finalize the bill until after the impending deadline.

House Republican leaders may also face attendance challenges if called back, given that numerous members have travel plans and several others are actively campaigning for various offices.

A partial government shutdown would impact agencies that remain unfunded, potentially affecting payments to active-duty military personnel, air traffic controllers, and Border Patrol agents.