Senate Republicans weigh Dem demand to split DHS bill, turn to short-term extension to avoid shutdown
Senate Democrats plan to block a key test vote to fund the government on Thursday, and some Senate Republicans are already looking for alternatives should their plan fail. And the...
By Fox News · Fox News
Senate Democrats plan to block a key test vote to fund the government on Thursday, and some Senate Republicans are already looking for alternatives should their plan fail. And the option that they are landing on is one pushed by Democrats, who have vowed to shut down any funding package that included the controversial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill. Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., hastily united over the weekend to reject the DHS funding bill following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during an immigration operation in Minneapolis and demanded that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., strip the bill from the package. Thune, for now, has no intention of doing so. And as the funding deadline draws closer, some Republicans are looking at other options on the table. SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS 'BLOCKED' DEAL-MAKING SESSION Some members of the Senate Appropriations Committee are considering supporting stripping the DHS bill from the broader package, and eying a short-term funding extension, or continuing resolution (CR), in the meantime to avoid any closures at the agency. Sen. John Kennedy , R-La., said that barring what Senate Democrats proposed for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he would consider yanking the DHS bill in favor of a CR. "It looks to me at this juncture — I could change my mind — at this juncture, the smart play is to carve out the Homeland Security bill, and we can fight over that," Kennedy said. "But in the meantime, try to do a CR and pass the other bills. Now, if my Democratic friends don't want to do that, then they're going to lose all control whatsoever that they could get." SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told reporters that "personally," he would support stripping the DHS bill. "Yeah, I think I would be, and we're having those kinds of conversat…