The Senate failed to pass a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the fiscal year as talks between the White House and Democratic lawmakers appeared to unravel.
Senators voted 51-45 to advance the bill funding DHS through the end of September, falling short of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster.
Federal funding for DHS lapsed on Feb. 14, and White House officials have been engaged in prolonged negotiations with Senate Democrats since then. But those talks have dragged on as the two parties exchange proposals back and forth, and both sides say the other hasn’t conceded enough in the compromise negotiations.
Federal workers in multiple agencies are working without pay as the talks drag on.
“Senate Democrats are not engaging. And furthermore, I would say, beyond not engaging, they are just flat-out rejecting any chance to sit down and actually talk about it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Thursday. “And that seems to be coming from the top.”
The bill that was considered on Thursday passed the House earlier this year that was negotiated by both parties and on track to pass in late January. However, after a pair of deadly shootings in Minneapolis involving immigration officers, Democrats say they won’t back a funding bill until stricter reforms are implemented.
Some Democrats have suggested partially funding the department by removing the budget allocated for Immigration and Customs Enforcement until a deal is brokered, but still providing money for agencies such as TSA, Secret Service, and the Coast Guard.
Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democratic appropriator in the Senate, forced a vote on a bill to do that on Thursday, but it similarly failed due to Republican opposition.
Democrats laid out their demands last month, such as mandatory body cameras and warrant requirements for arrests, but details of the ongoing negotiations have not been shared publicly. The White House sent its latest offer last week, but Democrats say they are still “far apart” on an agreement.
“(Negotiations) are happening. We’re just not close,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat overseeing DHS appropriations in the Senate. “The last offer from Republicans wasn’t close to good enough. And I think we’ve put some very reasonable priorities on the table, and if they’re not going to meet us where we need them to meet us, then we’re not going to fund it.”
Republicans push for DHS funding amid Iran war
But with the war in Iran heightening concerns about possible attacks on U.S. soil, Republicans are urging their Democratic colleagues to fund the nation’s hub of homeland security.
“I think (Democrats) see this as politically advantageous to them,” Thune said. “It is just a flat-out unwillingness to try and solve this problem or fund the department. At some point, something bad is going to happen.”
Making things more complicated, Democrats have pointed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s recent testimony this week as further evidence the agency is being mishandled. Noem faced criticism from both parties for her handling of the deadly shootings in Minnesota — and Democrats have used her testimony as a reason to dig in their heels.
“She was unapologetic about the way that ICE is murdering American citizens,” Murphy said. “She wouldn’t apologize. She wouldn’t take any accountability. That’s not an agency that we should be funding as a federal government right now, and it’s up to them to get their department under control.”
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he is removing Noem from the position, nominating Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to take her place. However, Democratic leaders said that doesn’t change their calculus on DHS spending.
“A change in personnel is not sufficient, we need a change in policy,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said on Thursday.