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John:
The Senate is back in session this week and then the House will return next week. The Senate is working through a six bill spending package which includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Liberal Senators have been opposing this funding over the ICE operations in Minnesota. Progressive Senator Ed Markey even took to the press to say that, “we cannot and we must not vote to send a single nickel to this lawless organization of thugs..” and “Democrats have the power to defund and abolish ICE…”
In a Senate vote on Thursday, the Senate rejected the 6 bill package on a 45-55 vote, pushing the government closer to a shutdown 2.0. The package would fund military and defense spending, financial services, and foreign operations, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, State, and Transportation.
Despite the White House earlier this week saying that they support the 6 bill package, the Senate is looking for an offramp to keep the government open. One idea that is gaining traction is to split off DHS funding from the other 5 bills and pass them individually. DHS funding would continue under a Continuing Resolution - or current flat funding - and the rest would be passed through a new appropriations bill. The House would then have to pass the bills and send to the President for his signature.
This is also colored by the deployment of Border Czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota by President Trump. Homan’s deployment to Minnesota is to secure a better working relationship between the state's police officers and ICE. Parts of Minnesota do not currently work with ICE on letting them know when illegal aliens, who have been arrested by state police, are going to be released from jail. Mayor Jacob Frey has doubled down on the states sanctuary city policy.
This map, produced by the Center for Immigration Studies, shows exactly what States, Counties, and Cities cooperate. There has been a long standing effort by conservatives to strip funding from these states that do not honor ICE detainer requests.
Government funding expires at the end of this week, which might buy the Congress some time over the weekend to figure out how to proceed. If they make any changes to the bill, the Senate would have to send it back through the House as well. We’ll see how fast Congress wants to move to avoid a potential shutdown.
ICYMI…
Sincerely,
Hugh Fike
Senior Director, CP Academy
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