US Senate fails to advance DHS funding bill, partial govt shutdown looms
Washington: The US Senate failed to advance a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), raising the prospect of a partial government shutdown as temporary funding for the department expires at the end of Friday.
The procedural vote was 52-47, short of the 60 votes required to advance the bill, Xinhua news agency reported.
The legislative stall came as the White House and congressional Democrats have been unable to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement regulations, following two fatal shootings by federal law enforcement officers in the city of Minneapolis.
“Democrats have been very clear: We will not support an extension of the status quo,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday.
Democrats blocked the legislation after rejecting an offer from the White House they said didn’t go far enough to reform immigration enforcement operations after the fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis last month.
As a result, funding for key agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Coast Guard will lapse Saturday without further action from Congress.
The recent fatal shootings of two US citizens — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — by federal enforcement in Minneapolis have prompted Democrats to seek changes to how immigration agencies operate.
The Congress has recently passed a funding package to fund multiple US federal agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year, yet DHS only received a two-week continuing resolution at current funding levels.