Democrats salivate at GOP zero-vote margin as shutdown looms over ICE reform gridlock
Democrats believe a zero-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities...
By Fox News · Fox News
Democrats believe a zero-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities as rumors circulate that yet another Republican may cut his time in office short. A Republican majority hangs by a thread as questions continue to circulate over whether Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will resign his seat in the coming days. To members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash., that prospect strengthens Democrats’ hand. "Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country," Jayapal said Wednesday evening. SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING It’s unclear when Dunn, who has wrestled with health concerns in the past, might come to a decision. If Dunn steps aside, Republicans will have just a one-seat majority — and a no-vote margin for error that will prevent them from passing most pieces of legislation unless they maintain perfect party unity or secure help from Democrats. With persistent rebels like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the mix, Democrats are willing to bet they’ll be asked for help. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., believes that even just one less vote changes how Republicans have to think about DHS funding and the list of demands Democrats have made for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "This place runs on numbers," DeLauro said. "I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable." Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements and an end to paramilitary policing practices. Gridlock over those demands looks poised to force a partial…