Senate Democrats are once again flirting with chaos — and this time they’re doing it while using a tragic incident in Minneapolis as political cover. After a border patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation on Saturday, Democrats suddenly decided that funding the Department of Homeland Security is unacceptable. Apparently, enforcing immigration law is now grounds for pulling the plug on the government.
Led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrats announced they will vote against the DHS funding bill, which is part of a broader six-bill spending package designed to keep the government running past the Jan. 30 deadline. Schumer claimed Democrats tried to secure what he called “commonsense reforms” but accused Republicans of refusing to “stand up to President Trump,” arguing the bill is inadequate to rein in ICE. In other words, when border enforcement happens, Democrats reach for the emergency brake.
Schumer made it clear he will vote no and said Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed if DHS funding remains in the package. This move deals a blow to Senate Republicans, who had worked with Democrats to reach compromises on the bill. According to a senior Senate aide, Democrats had been saying for weeks they didn’t want another shutdown and had even praised the bipartisan nature of the funding process — right up until Saturday. Bipartisanship, it seems, has a very short shelf life.
The current proposal would fully fund DHS while imposing several restrictions and reporting requirements that could trigger certain funding cutoffs if not met. Removing DHS from the package would create a domino effect of procedural headaches, since any changes would have to go back through the House. And the House is not returning until Feb. 2, making the risk of a partial shutdown significantly higher. Add in an arctic storm already forcing the Senate to cancel votes, and Democrats’ timing couldn’t be more… adventurous.
Before the shooting, opposition was already forming among Democrats such as Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Kaine, who previously helped reopen the government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history, joined others in pushing back. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada also came out against including DHS funding in the broader package. Rosen said her guiding principle is to “agree where you can and fight where you must,” and she believes this is a moment to fight — even if that fight risks shutting down the government.
Meanwhile, House lawmakers are on a week-long recess after passing their latest spending package in two parts, including a standalone vote on DHS funding and another covering departments such as Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. A provision was added to combine the bills into one large package for the Senate. Changing that now would force House lawmakers to return early and go through multiple procedural hurdles and another vote, something House GOP leaders are ruling out for now.
Once again, Democrats are choosing political theater over stability, even as the government funding deadline looms. Republicans, meanwhile, are standing firm in supporting law enforcement and border security while still pursuing negotiated solutions. The good news is that cooler heads still have time to prevail, and with strong leadership and a commitment to public safety, the country can move forward with a funded government and a secure border — exactly what Americans deserve.
