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Senate Democrats are ready to break a fragile truce that would avert a partial government shutdown after a Minneapolis man was fatally shot by a border patrol agent on Saturday.
Congressional Democrats were already leery of backing funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the wake of the agency’s presence in Minnesota and beyond, but the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation has shattered what little unity they had on the bill.
Now, Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., plan to vote against the legislation, which is currently included in a broader funding package along with five other spending bills.
SENATE DEMOCRATS REBEL AGAINST THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP OVER DHS FUNDING PACKAGE, INCREASING SHUTDOWN ODDS
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that Senate Democrats would not support a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security following a fatal shooting involving a border patrol agent in Minnesota on a Saturday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Schumer, in a statement on Saturday, said that Democrats tried to get “common sense reforms” in the DHS funding bill, but charged that “because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I will vote no,” Schumer said. “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”
Schumer’s play call serves as a blow to Senate Republicans, who worked with their colleagues across the aisle to find compromises in the DHS bill, in particular. It also comes as the deadline to fund the government is rapidly approaching on Friday, Jan. 30. Further complicating matters is the arctic storm ripping across the country, which has already forced the upper chamber to cancel votes on Monday.
A senior…
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