Senate Republicans are nearing a deal with the White House to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security after Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, visited with President Donald Trump and other administration officials Monday evening.
It would likely involve a funding agreement with Democrats to reopen most of DHS, except for certain buckets of immigration enforcement.
There’s a wrinkle, though: The more money in the deal for Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, the more changes to immigration enforcement that Democrats will insist on, a Democratic senator said.
Trump also wants assurances that portions of the voter ID and citizenship verification bill can move — likely in a party-line budget reconciliation bill.
Still, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said she’s “optimistic” that DHS will be funded “by the end of the week.”