Latest on White House & Capitol Hill Budget and Immigration Standoff скачать в хорошем качестве

Latest on White House & Capitol Hill Budget and Immigration Standoff

1. The Immediate Budget Standoff Why this matters: Congress must fund the federal government by midnight Friday (Jan. 30) or a partial government shutdown begins — a repeat of last year’s lengthy shutdown. • The core battle is over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, especially money tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Senate Democrats are refusing to back the spending package unless it includes major reforms to immigration enforcement. • A procedural vote in the Senate recently failed because Democrats (with some GOP support) blocked the bill due to these disputes, making a shutdown more likely. 2. Senate Democrats’ Immigration Reform Demands Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and his caucus have made DHS funding contingent on specific changes to federal immigration policy following public outrage over two recent fatal shootings by federal agents: Their demands include: 1. Mandatory body cameras and visible ID for ICE agents 2. Limits on federal agents wearing masks during enforcement operations 3. Independent investigations and a uniform conduct code 4. Tighter coordination with local law enforcement and warrant requirements in certain operations These are framed as “common-sense reforms” to bring accountability to ICE and Border Patrol. Because Republicans and the White House do not want immigration policy tied directly to funding, Democrats have refused to support the current DHS funding bill — which otherwise funds the Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and others — unless these reforms are adopted. 3. White House Position The White House has publicly taken the side of passing the larger spending package that includes DHS funding: • Officials have rejected Democratic calls to separate out immigration policy issues from funding negotiations. The White House says the full appropriations package is bipartisan and that policy debates should not be allowed to cause a government shutdown. • Press Secretary briefings emphasize the need to keep agencies funded (like FEMA during winter storms) and caution against a shutdown over what they view as political demands. In short: the administration supports the overall funding bill and wants immigration policy 4. Possible Last-Minute Compromise There may be a deal emerging between President Trump and Senate Democrats to avert a shutdown: • Discussions include splitting DHS funding out of the big package so the rest of government gets funded on time while immigration enforcement reforms are negotiated separately. But time is extremely short, and the House isn’t in session until Monday — meaning even if an agreement is reached, the procedural timeline makes avoiding a brief lapse in funding challenging. 5. What Happens If Funding Lapses? If Congress misses the Friday deadline: • A partial government shutdown would start, halting non-essential federal operations. • Agencies like ICE and CBP could continue operating because of separate mandatory funding already enacted last year, but others like NIH, HHS, and routine DHS Bottom Line • The budget fight is tightly linked with immigration policy, especially reforms to DHS and ICE. • Senate Democrats are leveraging their votes to push for accountability measures. • The White House opposes tying policy changes to funding deadlines and has backed the broader appropriations bill. • A deal to split DHS funding and avoid a shutdown is being pursued, but the clock is ticking, and a partial shutdown remains possible.