Senate fails to advance spending bills as Democrats push for DHS reforms : NPR

The Senate failed to advance a six-bill funding package Thursday, bringing the federal government one step closer to a partial shutdown.

Democrats have refused to back the package without major reforms to the Department of Homeland Security and the ongoing immigration enforcement actions led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

At one point, it seemed the memory of the historic 43-day shutdown last year would be put firmly in the rearview mirror, and senators would fairly easily fund the remaining appropriations bill for FY 2026. But after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents, Senate Democrats are demanding significant changes to the Homeland Security funding bill.

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said Democrats will support the other five appropriations bills, but need to see substantive changes to the sixth.

“Until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled legislatively, the DHS funding bill doesn’t have the votes to pass,” Schumer said Wednesday.

The measure needed to meet a 60-vote threshold in order to pass. The vote was 45-55.

Democrats are calling for broad changes to the way DHS agents are carrying out their work. This includes barring them from wearing masks, requiring body cameras, setting rules around warrants, and creating a uniform code of conduct and use of force rules.

But changes to the DHS bill would ultimately require House approval. That chamber is on recess this week.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has acknowledged the difficult task of getting a new bill to pass the House, where some hardline GOP members have already vowed to throw a wrench into any plans to pass a Senate-modified DHS bill.

“I think it’s really important, if possible, to do it here and not to have to send it back to the House of Representatives, where the future of an appropriations package, I think would be somewhat uncertain,” Thune said.