DHS funding bill faces new hurdles in Senate after another person dies in Minneapolis

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WASHINGTON — A massive government funding package faces new hurdles in the Senate after another person was shot and killed by a federal officer Saturday in Minnesota, raising the specter of a possible shutdown next Friday at midnight.

The bill needs 60 votes to pass in the House, where Republicans control 53 seats. And a number of key Democrats who voted in favor of recent appropriations measures have said they would vote against funding the Department of Homeland Security unless restrictions are placed on how immigration agents conduct enforcement operations.

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The package, which passed the House, is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate this week.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who broke with her party and objected to its recent impasse on the Affordable Care Act, said she would not support the DHS measure.

“The Trump administration and Kristi Noem are putting combative, undertrained federal agents on the streets without accountability. They are oppressing Americans and at odds with local law enforcement,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “This is clearly not about keeping Americans safe, but about brutalizing American citizens and law-abiding immigrants. I will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill.”

Sen. Jacky Rosen, Democrat of Nevada, who like Rosen was one of eight Senate Democrats who voted to reopen the government in November, also spoke out against the DHS legislation.

“As a member of the United States Senate, I have a responsibility to hold the Trump administration accountable when I see abuses of power – like we are seeing now with ICE,” Rosen said in a statement. “That’s why I will vote against any government funding package that contains the bill that funds this agency, until we have safeguards in place to limit these abuses of power and ensure more accountability and transparency.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., another of eight Democrats who voted for the bill in November, came out against the current package a day before the Minnesota shooting. He said Congress should not validate a president who is “acting in a chaotic and illegal manner” and who wants “a significant amendment” to his law.

Many Republican senators defended DHS after this man’s murder, identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse serving veterans.

But the department’s actions also drew sharp criticism from Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, which negotiated the funding plan.

“This looks like an execution. There needs to be an investigation. There needs to be accountability,” Murray said. said the. “Joining ICE doesn’t give you the right to commit murder. The president is making this worse – and I’m not convinced he’ll stop. The Republican Congress must join us in stopping this. Enough.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., written the: “ICE out of Minnesota NOW.”

The legislation funds ICE at current levels, but without the safeguards and restrictions that Democrats had demanded on how immigration agents can carry out enforcement.

“I am voting against any funding for DHS until more controls are put in place to hold ICE accountable,” Sen. Brian Schatz, Democrat of Hawaii, said in a statement. “These repeated incidents of violence across the country are illegal, lead to unnecessary escalation and harm our security. »

The non-DHS funding measures are less controversial and include various provisions that Democrats view as victories, including money for child care, mental health, housing assistance and Pell Grants. Some Democrats, including Cortez Masto, are calling for DHS money to be decoupled and voted on separately.

But there is no indication that GOP leaders will do so. A spokesperson for Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said they would introduce only one bill.

Another complication for Democrats is that Republicans passed a one-time injection of $170 billion for immigration enforcement, including ICE, that would be legally available for the Trump administration to spend even if DHS funding expires.

Republicans will need at least seven Democrats — likely eight, if Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., continues his streak of voting against appropriations bills — to pass a measure.

Other Democrats have said they will oppose the DHS funding bill, including Senators Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Mark Kelly of Arizona and Mark Warner of Virginia.

Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, reiterated his opposition to funding DHS without restrictions on agents.

“The Senate should not vote to continue funding this carnage,” he said. Saturday. “We are not helpless. We don’t need to accept this.”