Senate Democrats held their ground and blocked a large funding package that included much-needed money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to continue carrying out its operations to clean up the streets and send illegal aliens back to their countries of origin. Shockingly, they were joined by seven GOP Senators who many conservatives feel betrayed them and the values they claim to hold by voting against the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with his caucus, had been making it clear they were going to take action to obstruct the government funding process days before the vote was to be happen, demanding that the GOP take out the funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the legislative package.
What left conservatives and supporters of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies stunned was the seven Republican senators who joined with them, a list that includes: Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R- Utah, Ashley Moody, R-Fla., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
According to a report from Fox News, Senate Democrats are willing to pass the other five bills included in the package, suggesting it would pass without any problems, so long as the funding for ICE was pulled out of it. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said, “Democrats are ready to avert a shutdown.” Murray is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“We have five bills we all agree on. About 95% of the remaining budget. It is ready to go,” she added. “We can pass those five bills, no problem. All Leader Thune has to do is tee them up for a vote.” However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) decided to test just how serious Democrats were in their resolve to oppose the funding and moved forward with the key test vote, which would lead to several hours of debate concerning the package and a final vote to determine if it should go to the president to be signed into law.
Just before the vote, Thune remarked that he hoped conversations between the White House and Senate Democrats would result in “the votes that are necessary to get it passed.” Unfortunately, Senate Democrats wanted to throw in several demands for reforms to ICE in the package. But Thune shot that down.
“That’s not going to happen in this bill, but there are, I mean, there’s a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate, White House,” Thune said. “But that’s not gonna happen in this bill.” Included in the package, which contains a total of six bills, is funding for the Pentagon and several other agencies. Senate Republicans and the White House are now looking to develop a new plan to keep the government open or to keep the damage from a partial shutdown to a minimum.
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One option being considered by the GOP is removing the DHS funding bill from the bigger package, advance the five bills, and then use a short-term funding extension for Homeland Security. Negotiations between the White House and Senate Democrats are currently ongoing concerning that idea. An official from the White House spoke with Fox News on the issue.
“President Trump has been consistent — he wants the government to remain open, and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown,” the official said. “A shutdown would risk disaster response funding and more vital resources for the American people.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video