Senate Democrats in the United States voted this Thursday, 29, to block a project that funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and several other agencies. The move came as they threatened a partial government shutdown when the money ran out next Friday.
The Republican setback in Thursday’s vote occurred even after Trump said shortly before that he “does not want a ‘shutdown.'” Members of both parties are discussing a possible agreement to separate DHS funding from the rest of the package and finance it only for a short period.
On Wednesday, Democratic senators presented a list of demands to pass the measure, including that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers remove their masks and obtain arrest warrants. If those demands are not met, Democrats say they are prepared to block Trump’s spending bill. The requests come after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
In the deal being discussed, Homeland Security would still be funded, but for a short period to allow for negotiations on Democrats’ demands. Other agencies included in the bill would be funded through the end of September. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats will not provide the necessary votes until it is “checked and reformed.”
Schumer has pressed Republicans and the White House to strip Homeland Security funding from the rest of the bill, which includes money for the Defense Department and other agencies.
Democrats also want an enforceable code of conduct so that officers are held accountable when they violate the rules. Schumer said officers should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.
House Republicans have said they do not want changes to the bill they approved last week. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the conservative Freedom Caucus wrote that its members are supporting President Trump and ICE. Source: Associated Press.
*Content translated with the help of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Broadcast editorial team, Grupo Estado’s real-time news system
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