Source: Fox News
Summary
A partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is likely unless the Senate passes a short-term extension of current funding levels. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to unveil a stopgap funding measure, which would extend the department’s current budget for a yet-unknown amount of time. Democrats walked away from a bipartisan deal to fund DHS through the end of fiscal year 2026 over insufficient guardrails on agencies responsible for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Republicans want to avoid a shutdown but believe its effects would fall on Democrats’ shoulders.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is set to unveil a stopgap funding measure for DHS, extending the department’s current budget for a yet-unknown amount of time. House Republicans are divided on the length of the measure, with some favoring a longer extension to fund ICE at a higher level and remove Democrats’ negotiating leverage. Others oppose the idea of a continuing resolution altogether, citing disruptions to critical national security operations.
The House GOP leaders will likely need nearly all Republicans on board to pass a CR for DHS, with many Democrats warning they will not support any funding for the department without seeing proof of critical reform.
The sequence of events feels like a familiar dance, with both sides positioning themselves for the next step in the process.
It’s a performance where the players know their lines, and the outcome is far from certain.
The question is, who will blink first?
Author: Evan Null
