The White House made a final effort Wednesday evening to avert a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before critical funding expires, sending legislative text to Democratic lawmakers in hopes of reaching a bipartisan agreement.
A White House official told The Hill that the administration sent a proposal to Capitol Hill as negotiations stalled, but Democratic leaders indicated they were unlikely to accept it.
Earlier this week, Senate Democrats rejected the administration’s offer as “incomplete and insufficient,” saying it lacked meaningful reforms to immigration enforcement.
Senate Democrats have insisted they will not support another short-term funding extension for DHS unless Republicans agree to a 10-point plan to overhaul Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Sen. Jacky Rosen said the White House responded to detailed legislative language from Democratic negotiators with only a “one-pager,” leaving key reform measures unaddressed.
“That shows me that they’re not really serious about this,” Rosen said, accusing Republicans of repeatedly offering stopgap funding extensions to delay substantive immigration reform. She compared the process to a child asking for “just one more story,” saying the administration appears intent on prolonging negotiations without compromise.
Republican leaders have said they prefer short-term funding measures as a way to gain leverage, while Democrats continue to push for structural changes to federal immigration agencies as part of any DHS funding deal.
