WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Senate has taken a massive step toward keeping the lights on, advancing a $174 billion funding package by a bipartisan vote of 81 to 14. But don’t pop the champagne just yet—the real war is over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the clock is ticking toward a January 30 shutdown.
“Half-Hearted Sprint”
While the passage of this three-bill “minibus” is a positive sign, it feels like a band-aid on a bullet wound. Lawmakers have passed only a fraction of the necessary funding bills, and with the deadline looming, many are already predicting another temporary fix.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), a member of the Appropriations Committee, didn’t mince words about the Senate’s inability to finish the job on time.
“Of course, there’s going to be a short-term CR [Continuing Resolution],” Kennedy admitted. It appears that in Washington, the strategy remains the same: Why solve the problem today when you can kick the can down the road?
The DHS Powder Keg
The “minibus” covers relatively safe topics, but the upcoming battle over DHS funding is where the political fireworks will start. The tragic shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minnesota last week has turned an already contentious debate into a toxic standoff.
Democrats are now leveraging the tragedy to demand reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in exchange for their votes.
“Work With Us”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) issued a clear ultimatum to his Republican colleagues.
“I’m not proposing we fix this overnight, but I think it should be clear to Republicans that if they want Democratic votes for a DHS appropriations bill, they’re going to have to work with us on our concerns,” Murphy warned.
Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) acknowledged the reality, calling the DHS bill “always one of the most difficult” to pass.
The Jan 30 Cliff
The House has already approved the $174 billion package, and the Senate is expected to send it to President Donald Trump later this week. Another $77 billion package involving National Security is also in the pipeline.
However, without a deal on DHS—and with tensions boiling over federal law enforcement tactics—a short-term continuing resolution seems like the only thing standing between the American people and another government shutdown.