House Freedom Caucus draws line on DHS, ICE funding as Minneapolis unrest fuels shutdown risk
FIRST ON FOX: House Freedom Caucus leaders are drawing battle lines in the federal funding fight as the threat of a partial government shutdown grows by the day.Senate Democrats are...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: House Freedom Caucus leaders are drawing battle lines in the federal funding fight as the threat of a partial government shutdown grows by the day. Senate Democrats are threatening to sink a massive government spending bill — which would impact the Department of War, Department of Transportation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other offices — over its provisions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If the legislation, which passed the House last week, fails to clear the Senate by the end of the day Friday, large swaths of the government could be forced to pause or reduce operations until an agreement is reached. But leaders within the conservative House Freedom Caucus are warning they will not accept changes to ICE funding that's included in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) portion of the package. FORMER ACTING DHS CHIEF RIPS SENATE DEMOCRATS FOR FUNDING REVOLT AMID MINNEAPOLIS CHAOS In a letter sent to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the Freedom Caucus Board of Directors urged him to "ensure the Department of Homeland Security is funded fully along with all remaining appropriations bills — and not allow Democrats to strip its funding out to pass other appropriations separately." "We cannot support giving Democrats the ability to control the funding of our Department of Homeland Security," the letter said. HOUSE ADVANCES $1.2T PACKAGE WITH ICE FUNDING AFTER REPUBLICANS OVERCOME INFIGHTING Conservatives are also calling on Trump to "use all tools necessary," including invoking the Insurrection Act, to quell the unrest in Minneapolis. "All Americans have the right to protest — including their right to speech and to bear arms consistent with our laws — but there is no right to thwart federal, state, or local law enforcement and the state of order among our citizens. The coordinated effort to stop law enforcement by politicians in Minnesota and around the country has caused chaos and led to the tragic deaths of tw…