Lawmakers exploring options for DHS bill in critical week for government funding talks
By Ted Barrett, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju, CNN
(CNN) — Senate Democrats and Republicans are weighing how to move forward on funding the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies after another deadly shooting by a federal officer in Minneapolis, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The options include potentially having the House return at the end of the week to approve a modified package of bills to avoid a partial government shutdown should it come to that. The House left Washington last week, expecting the Senate to pass the package of bills this week. Then, a Border Patrol agent shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti over the weekend — significantly changing postures on Capitol Hill.
Aides emphasized that the dynamics fundamentally shifted over the last 72 hours. On Friday, no one was anticipating a government shutdown. By Saturday night, it became clear that there may be little way to avoid one.
The White House and GOP senators have begun initial outreach to Democrats to find a way out of shuttering the major federal agencies by week’s end, according to senior aides, but so far there’s no indication a shutdown crisis will be averted by the January 30 deadline.
Democrats want major changes to how US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating as a condition for voting on a funding package that would provide money to major federal agencies, such as the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.
“Republicans and the White House have reached out but have not yet raised any realistic solutions,” one Senate Democratic leadership aide said.
There are several potential options to avoid a shutdown, including stripping out funding for the Department of Homeland Security and separately moving the rest of the bills. But that would require the consent of all 100 senators after they return to Capitol Hill Tuesday — and would hinge on an agreement being reached by Senate Democrats and the White House, which has said it opposes separating the bills in the package.
Republicans say they are exploring all options as it relates to Democratic demands to strip the DHS bill out of the House-passed six-bill appropriations package to fund the government. A top goal, they say, is to prevent a shutdown of what amounts to 75% of the government’s spending.
For their part, Democrats are trying to coalesce around a single set of demands, but a source familiar with those talks said conversations about what kinds of reforms Democrats will seek as it pertains to DHS are still ongoing. Democratic leaders are still soliciting suggestions and ideas from their members.
A quick compromise between the parties on changes to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be difficult, however. Many Republicans would likely oppose the types of changes to ICE that Democrats are demanding.
Nothing is at all finalized and discussions on next steps are preliminary.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
The-CNN-Wire
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