DHS Funding Uncertain as GOP Proposal Fails Approval from Trump, Democrats

The potential of a deal to end the ongoing 40-day partial government shutdown affecting several federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains uncertain as both President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats have rejected a GOP proposal to fund the agency.

Senate Republicans sent Democrats a formal proposal on Tuesday following a meeting with President Donald Trump to circumvent the impasse affecting several agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The proposal sought to fund the majority of DHS, excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Most Democrats, however, have affirmed their stance to seek reforms to ICE before accepting an agreement.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters after a caucus meeting on Tuesday that "the problem is that they have everybody at DHS right now doing immigration enforcement."

"We, as a caucus, we've said we're not funding a lawless immigration enforcement operation, and that remains the caucus position," Murphy said, arguing that if lawmakers fund Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or ICE’s investigation division, they are still “providing for immigration enforcement."

President Trump has also stated that he does not plan to support any proposal that does not include elements of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act – a proposed bill targeting potential voter fraud by requiring stricter verification of U.S. citizenship for federal elections.

"I think any deal they make, I'm pretty much not happy with it," Trump said Tuesday.

Additionally, Ha Nguyen McNeil, the TSA acting administrator, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee, urging Congress to fund DHS and to "ensure this never happens again."

More than 480 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown, with some airports facing staff callouts from 40 to 50% of the workforce, McNeil stated.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters, "I don't know how you get to a solution where they keep moving the goalposts and where, when you hit a target that they said would be acceptable, they walk away from it,” sharing his frustration over Democrats’ positions.