The DHS partial government shutdown entered its 35th day Friday after the Senate failed for the fifth time to advance a funding bill. The Senate voted 47 to 37 in favor of the latest funding measure, falling well short of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. The vote was kept open for more than two hours as Senate leaders grappled with attendance issues in both parties. The shutdown is now the second longest in US history, surpassed only by last fall’s 43-day full government shutdown. A rare Saturday session is scheduled, with both sides expected to hold votes that are widely anticipated to fail.
Where Negotiations Stand
Border Czar Tom Homan met with a bipartisan group of senators Thursday in what Republican Sen. Katie Britt described as the first time both sides had met in six weeks. Homan met with the group again Friday, though Democrats left the meeting after less than an hour. Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota described the session as “very congenial” and “another step forward.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he sees “deal space” emerging but questioned whether Democrats were serious about reaching an agreement. “This is a pox on everybody’s house,” Thune said. “You’ve got people standing in lines at the airports. This needs to be fixed.” Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the two sides remain “very far apart” despite productive conversations. Democrats sent their latest counteroffer to the White House around 11 p.m. Monday. The White House responded Tuesday in a letter detailing the concessions it had already made, the first time either side has shared specific details of negotiations publicly.
The Core Dispute
The fundamental disagreement is structural. Democrats want to fund TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency immediately, while keeping ICE and CBP funding frozen until reforms are agreed. In a single 24-hour period, Republicans blocked five separate Democratic bills to fund individual DHS agencies including TSA, FEMA, CISA and the Coast Guard. Republicans counter that a piecemeal approach is unacceptable and that the entire department must be funded together. The administration says it has already agreed to expanded body-worn cameras for ICE agents, with an exception for undercover operations, and limited enforcement at sensitive locations including hospitals, schools and places of worship.
Democrats are holding out for a judicial warrant requirement before ICE agents can forcibly enter homes, officer identification requirements and a ban on masked agents. Republican Sen. John Kennedy, who was not participating in the meetings, said he believes Democrats will never agree to any reasonable ICE changes because their political base would interpret any deal as a vote to defund ICE.
The Pressure Is Building
Senate Majority Leader Thune threatened to cancel the Easter recess if the shutdown is not resolved. “It needs to get resolved by the end of next week,” Thune said Thursday. “I can’t see us taking a break if the government’s still shut down.” With spring break travel surging and more than 300 TSA officers having already quit, the airport situation is deteriorating. One TSA official warned this week that some airports may need to close checkpoints entirely if the situation does not improve. (CBS News)
Why This Matters to You
If you are flying this spring, this shutdown is directly affecting your travel. TSA lines are stretching to two and three hours at major airports nationwide. Workers who screen every passenger and every bag every day are going without pay for the fifth consecutive week. Their colleagues are quitting. The agency responsible for aviation security is being systematically weakened at one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The political framing each side is using for Saturday’s vote is clear. Democrats will say they are trying to fund TSA and Republicans are blocking it. Republicans will say Democrats are holding airport security hostage to extract ICE reforms. Both are partially correct. It is worth thinking about: Is there a constitutional issue with requiring federal employees to perform essential security functions without pay for 35 days? With Easter recess approaching and Thune threatening to cancel it, what political pressure does that actually create on members of both parties? And with negotiations apparently moving for the first time in six weeks, is the airport crisis finally the forcing function that produces a deal?
-Elijah Iraheta, Editor in Chief, ASC News
