Democrats and Trump White House can’t cut deal

The Department of Homeland Security is headed for a shutdown starting this weekend after Senate Democrats and the White House failed to reach an agreement Thursday on restrictions on immigration enforcement.

The bill, which has already been approved by the House of Representatives and would fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, failed to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Thursday; That means time will run out to prevent a shutdown.

Shortly after that vote, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, also immediately objected to considering what would be the second two-week interim funding for DHS while negotiations continue.

Following Murphy’s objection, Congress went into recess for a week and voted to impose a shutdown that will begin at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday.

The looming shutdown comes as Democratic senators continue to negotiate directly with the White House and President Donald Trump on a deal that could unlock DHS funding.

Democrats want new restrictions on immigration officers, citing the killing of two US citizens in Minneapolis in January by federal agents who were there to conduct immigration enforcement.

The remainder of the federal government will be funded through September 30.

The public is unlikely to be significantly impacted if DHS closes because most of the department’s employees would be considered essential workers and would not be furloughed.

However, many employees will need to work without pay, especially if the closure continues for a long time.

The closure will affect workers at DHS subagencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The TSA closure could impact travelers going through airport security, especially if agents miss paychecks in early March.

“DHS’ essential missions and functions will continue as they do during any shutdown,” a DHS spokesperson told CNBC.

“But during the shutdown, many employees will be forced to work without pay, putting pressure on our nation’s frontline defenders.”

So far, Democrats and the White House appear far apart on a deal to restore full funding to DHS.

“Today’s strong vote was a shot at Republicans. Democrats are not going to support a blank check for chaos,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) said at a press conference after Thursday’s vote. he said.

Schumer poured cold water on the White House’s latest offer.

“Their offer is not serious,” Schumer said. He refrained from elaborating on the sticking points.

Democrats are pushing for a series of changes at DHS. They want agents to be required to wear body cameras, a ban on agents wearing masks, and a judicial warrant requirement for arrests. Democrats also want an end to the “roaming patrols” the administration uses to describe immigration operations.

Judicial warrants are a “particularly challenging situation,” a senior White House official said, according to MS Now. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would not accept changes that would affect the administration’s ability to implement its immigration enforcement agenda.

If an agreement is reached, both houses of Congress can return from recess and approve the agreement.

However, it is not yet clear whether an agreement will be reached next week.

And many MPs will be in Germany for the Munich Security Conference.

“If there is progress, we will have people coming here to vote,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., R-S.D.