DHS shutdown looms as funding bill fails Senate vote
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sign stands at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015. Financing for the DHS is set to lapse after Friday and the agency would face a partial shutdown u
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Funding for the Department of Homeland Security failed to advance in the Senate on Thursday, paving the way for a partial government shutdown this weekend.
What we know:
The bill failed largely along party lines, except one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who voted with Republicans to fund DHS.
Senate Democrats have demanded immediate reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement processes and procedures, including that officers take off their masks and identify themselves and obtain warrants for arrest.
But Republicans have opposed tying policy changes to funding bills, arguing that DHS and ICE should be funded without conditions.
The Senate is now expected to propose a short-term extension of DHS funding, with Republicans hoping for an unlikely additional four weeks, according to FOX News.
DHS shutdown: These agencies will feel the biggest impact
Another government shutdown is looming as Congressional lawmakers continue to squabble over ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.
What's next:
Lawmakers must now reach a deal by the end of the day Friday in order to avoid another shutdown just days after the last partial shutdown that ran from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3.
Due to provisions laid out in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE itself would be minimally affected by another shutdown, but other DHS agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard and Secret Service, would be highly impacted.