The News
As the White House and Senate Democrats try to strike a deal to keep the government open, some Republicans are starting to stiffen their spines.
Seven Senate Republicans defected from GOP leaders on a procedural vote on Thursday, a similar total to other recent spending bills. But in doing so, some Republicans expressed discomfort with ongoing negotiations between the White House and Democrats to replace a full-year of spending for the Department of Homeland Security with a short-term funding bill and kickstart talks about changes to immigration enforcement.
And if that short-term deal is clinched, some Republicans say Democrats’ demands for more accountability from Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be counterbalanced in upcoming negotiations by GOP priorities that Democrats will not like.
“I don’t mind adding some things to DHS, to rein in ICE: Body cameras, no masks, some things that are common sense. But if we’re going to do that,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Semafor. “It has to include ending sanctuary cities or it’s no deal.”
Graham voted to advance the six-bill spending package on Thursday, which all Democrats opposed because there is no deal yet with the White House on a DHS stopgap funding bill. But there’s a coterie of Republicans who did not, and they have their own separate issues.
“I actually support ICE. I support Homeland Security. I’m not going to support something like this,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “I don’t support this idea. This is crazy not to fund Homeland Security.”
The path is even rockier in the House, where hardliner resistance will make advancing any bipartisan deal difficult. Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries both said Wednesday they want to see what the Senate passes before making a game plan.
Of course, President Donald Trump could be the game-changer. He said on Thursday that his White House is “close” to a deal with Democrats, adding, “We don’t want to have a shutdown.” A White House official, asked whether the administration wants an end to sanctuary cities included in the DHS bill, did not answer. The official said Trump has consistently advocated for keeping the government open and officials are “working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it’s up to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to cut a deal with the administration. Schumer wants a short-term bill and then a bipartisan deal on reforms to immigration enforcement, including warrant requirements and ending masked officers. A partial shutdown will set in on Saturday without action. Democrats want a two-week DHS stopgap, but some Republicans are pushing for up to four weeks.
“I’ll let the White House speak for themselves, but there have been very constructive discussions and conversations I’ve been a part of. And so let’s just say I’m hopeful,” Thune said.
Know More
Scott said he wants to add the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voting, and the Shutdown Fairness Act from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., which would pay federal workers during a shutdown, to the funding package. It’s highly unlikely they’ll accomplish that, but demonstrates lingering conservative bellyaching over spending bills.
“They’re going to have to pass those with Democratic votes. I’m not going to support it,” Johnson told Semafor right before voting no on Thursday. “I’m not happy with a lot of things. We didn’t pass the Shutdown Fairness Act, which we should have done so we don’t have to be cowering: ‘Democrats may shut the government down again.’”
Still, it’s clear there remains a large contingent of Republicans who would go along with a White House-backed deal. That may extend to the House as well: GOP leaders planned a strategy call on Thursday as they wait to see if the Senate can actually pass something. The House is currently not scheduled to reconvene until next week.
Democrats all banded against the procedural vote on Thursday, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.
“My sense is we’ve got to vote this down, and then” we’ll keep talking, said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who opposed the last fall shutdown over health care.
Room for Disagreement
Some GOP rabble-rousers are OK with the deal the White House is discussing with Democrats. They say a shutdown is the worst-case scenario.
“I don’t want to deny our law enforcement or TSA or FEMA [their funds]. I don’t want any of those folks to go dark,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “I will never vote for a shutdown.”
Burgess, Shelby, and Eleanor’s view
Leaders are optimistic that the White House and Democrats can land a deal. Once they do, they’ll have to navigate complaints and issues from people like Johnson, Rick Scott and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. It’s tough but doable before the Saturday deadline to fund the government.
Then there’s challenges in the House. Whip count aside, Johnson said Wednesday leaders “may have trouble” getting members back in DC this weekend. And it’s entirely possible passing a funding deal with a short-term lifeline for DHS is the easy part. It’s clear that a bipartisan immigration enforcement negotiation is going to be very hard: Just ask literally everyone who’s stepped into that arena in the past.