WASHINGTON, D.C. – After more than a month of the DHS shutdown, we’re hearing there could be some movement to fund parts of DHS. The proposal could also include provisions of the President’s sweeping election law.
Our Washington D.C. bureau has heard that this deal would fund DHS agencies, like TSA, FEMA and others within the Department, except for ICE’s enforcement operations. For weeks, air travelers have had to wait in hours-long lines at TSA and TSA workers have been unable to get paid.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D- CT), a member on the Appropriations Committee, said they have concerns with funding portions of DHS without immigration enforcement reforms in statute.
We’re told the other part of the reconciliation deal could include provisions of the President’s SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and an ID to vote. It’s unclear how those provisions could be incorporated in a reconciliation bill, which has strict budget rules but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R- SD) expects the Senate Parliamentarian to look over the SAVE America Act as part of reconciliation. Thune adds that Republicans are ready to get the ball rolling on this proposal .
“It’s really in the hands of the Democrats,” said Sen. Thune. “We’re ready to move, and we believe that the legislative text available. With consent we could get on it, and we could do it today.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- NY) said the President is sabotaging DHS negotiations by trying to include the SAVE Act in negotiations for reopening DHS.
