Schumer: Democrats will block funding package if it includes homeland security money

Key Highlights

• “Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE.
• I will vote no.”“Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included,” he added. The House passed the bill this week, although Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said previously that most Democrats would not support the funding for ICE.
• Seven Democrats, however, moved it over the line. Now the funding package, which currently calls for $64.4bn for the DHSincluding $10bn for ICE, needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster and pass the Senate.
• Republicans currently control 53 seats and would need Democratic support to pass the bipartisan package. The package also includes funding for other government agencies including the defense, state , education, labor and transportation departments. After the shooting of Pretti, a handful of Senate Democrats who previously appeared supportive of the funding package began to announce their opposition.“The Trump administration and Kristi Noem are putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability,” Nevada senator Catherine Cortez Masto said in a statement.
• “They are oppressing Americans and are at odds with local law enforcement.