By KEVIN FREKING and MARY CLARE JALONICK WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators are vowing to oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security following the shooting death of a 37…
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the Senate Democrat policy luncheon news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., speaks during the Senate Democrat policy luncheon news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan.
13, 2026, in Washington. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., left, sits at left as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., center, talks with Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., during a round table discussion on the high cost of housing, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Washington. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the Senate Democrat policy luncheon news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, in a social media post hours after the Saturday shooting, said that what is happening inis “appalling” and that Democrats “will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.” Six of the 12 annual spending bills for the current budget year have been signed into law by President Donald Trump. Six more are awaiting action in the Senate, despite a revolt from House Democrats and mounting calls for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment. If senators fail to act by midnight Friday, funding for Homeland Security and the other agencies covered under the six bills will lapse. “Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE,” said Schumer, D-N.Y. “I will vote no.” The White House reached out to Senate Democrats late Sunday, as have Republicans, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.Republicans will need some Democratic support to pass the remaining spending bills in time to avoid a partial shutdown. That support was already in question after, a mother of three, was fatally shot and killed earlier this month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. But the fatal shooting Saturday ofOn Sunday, House and Senate Democrats convened separate conference calls as they privately assess next steps and press to restrain the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee and key negotiator on the funding package, had been pushing her colleagues to vote for the homeland security bill, arguing that Democrats had successfully fought off major increases to the ICE budget. But in the wake of the shooting, Murray said Sunday on X that “I will NOT support the DHS bill as it stands.”Federal officials have defended the actions of the agents involved in the Good and Pretti shootings as justified. Democrats said video released of both shootings showed otherwise. Republicans are increasingly challenged, with some calling for “The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., posted on X. “The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wants a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the shooting and said “any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said Democrats should reconsider their threat to not support DHS funding and work with him to “end the mess created by sanctuary city policies.” “Now is not the time to defund one of our major national security priorities: border protection,” Graham said on X.The growing backlash from Democrats puts Republican leaders in the Senate in a difficult position. Much of the government, including the Department of Defense, continues to operate on a short-term bill that provides funding only through Friday.that revolved around Democrats’ insistence on extending federal subsidies that make health coverage more affordable for those enrolled in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Before Pretti’s death, many Democrats felt the same way about a potential shutdown, lending support in the House to most of the remaining appropriations bills — with DHS the exception. House Democrats largely rejected the homeland security portion last week with just a handful joining Republicans to ensure its passage. More than 100 House Democrats called for Noem’s impeachment. The House sent the six funding bills to the Senate as a package, and that makes it exceedingly difficult to strip out the homeland security portion which Democrats are demanding. Despite the procedural hurdles, Schumer said Sunday that Republicans should work with Democrats to advance the other five bills and rewrite the DHS bill. “This is the best course of action, and the American people are on our side,” Schumer said. The path ahead is uncertain. The Senate is not scheduled to return to session until Tuesday, due to the snowstorm. The House plans to be out of session this week and would have to pass the funding package again if it is changed. Democrats are pushing for policy changes to be added to the homeland security spending bill that would force ICE agents to use warrants for immigration arrests, mandate strengthened training, require agents to identify themselves and have Border Patrol agents stay on the border rather than assisting ICE with immigration raids in the interior of the country. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees homeland security funding, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Congress cannot fund a department “that is murdering American citizens, that is traumatizing little boys and girls across the country in violation of the law.”Democratic senators discussed the options on Sunday evening’s call but without changes from Republicans, they appeared headed toward a shutdown. On the morning call with House Democrats, they heard from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the state’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, both former congressmen. Several other Democratic senators announced they would vote “no” on homeland security money, including some who had helped Republicans end the record shutdown last year. “The abuses of power we are seeing from ICE in Minneapolis and across the country are un-American and cannot be normalized,” Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said in a post on X. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., also said she opposes that portion of the package.“For those asking where we go from here: Not voting to fund ICE is a great place for us to start,” Sen. Tina Smith wrote on X. “We oppose the ICE funding bill. We call for a full and transparent investigation with state officials,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. ”And we call on our Republican colleagues to stand up. They know this is wrong.”The progress that Congress has made so far on spending bills means that much of the federal government’s work would continue even if lawmakers are unable to complete the job. A bill that Trump signed Friday funds the departments of Justice, Commerce and the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the end of the budget year in September. The Department of Agriculture was funded from a previous measure, which means a shutdown shouldn’t stop food assistance this time.Fatal shooting of nurse in Minneapolis on Saturday sparks anti-ICE protests in Southern CaliforniaThings to do in the San Fernando Valley, LA area, Jan. 22-30After housing nearly 300 people, Los Angeles officials to expand San Fernando Valley’s RV-to-Home project citywideThese 4 Los Angeles County restaurants landed on Yelp’s Top 100 list for 2026 Family members of retired nurse stabbed to death in Rolling Hills Estates ask for maximum sentence for killer
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