Senate Democrats have landed on a deal with the White House to remove Department of Homeland Security funding from the final spending package, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate sweeping reforms to how federal immigration officers operate.
President Donald Trump endorsed the deal on Thursday evening.
The agreement that was finalized earlier that same day between Democratic leaders and top Trump administration officials strips the DHS portion from the funding package and replaces it with a short-term extension of current spending levels until Feb. 13. That would buy lawmakers two weeks to negotiate new limits for immigration officers while avoiding a shutdown on the dozens of other departments and federal agencies.
Through the agreement, the Senate will still approve five of the appropriations bills as they were previously negotiated, funding the departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, among other things, to avoid a partial shutdown over the weekend.
Still, there are obstacles that remain.
Due to procedural rules in the Senate, it’s not clear how quickly party leaders will get the adjusted spending package through the chamber, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., signaled they’d vote through the night on amendments to clear the package as early as Thursday night or early Friday morning.
Federal funding is scheduled to lapse at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Once the Senate approves the updated package, it would need to go back to the House for approval before it can be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk. The House is not scheduled to return until Monday, and weather conditions in Washington could prevent them from returning early this weekend.
Even then, a number of conservative Republicans have expressed opposition to the deal to detach Homeland Security from the full spending bill, signaling they will have their own demands if the package is volleyed back to the House.
Those demands will likely contrast with what Senate Democrats are pushing for in a future DHS funding bill, such as tightened rules on requiring warrants for arrests; prohibiting agents from wearing masks and requiring them to wear body cameras and identification; and implementing a universal code of conduct for use-of-force policies that reflect what is required by state and local law enforcement officials.
Senate changed course after 2nd Minnesota shooting
Detaching the Homeland Security portion is a significant reversal from the White House after senior officials said on Wednesday they wanted the six-bill package to go through as-is. But that position began to shift after a handful of Senate Republicans signaled they’d be open to splitting the package, prompting talks between Democratic leaders and Trump administration officials on Thursday.
A White House official told the Deseret News that Trump has been engaged in talks with both parties “to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown.”
“President Trump has been consistent – he wants the government to remain open," the official said. “A shutdown would risk disaster response funding and more vital resources for the American people.”
The demands from Senate Democrats are backed by party leadership in both chambers, including Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democratic appropriator who helped negotiate the funding package. Just last week, Murray urged her Democratic colleagues to support the spending bills — but later reversed course to say she won’t vote for the legislation after a federal immigration officer shot and killed a man in Minnesota last weekend.
It’s likely that a temporary partial shutdown will happen, but the effects will be minimal as government agencies are typically closed during the weekend.