Despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) support, House Democrats are undecided on whether to back legislation to end a partial government shutdown.
The Washington Examiner confirmed that former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) urged their colleagues to vote for the funding bill, signifying that older Democrats in the caucus are taking a different approach.
“There was a diversity of perspectives about how to move forward on this particular bill, but it’s the five bipartisan bills where there’s strong Democratic support, and of course, a variety of perspectives as it relates to the two week continuing resolution and two week funding freeze related to the [Department of Homeland Security],” said Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
A House Democrat told the Washington Examiner that Jeffries is holding the line on these contentious votes, despite support from Senate Democrats.
Last week, Schumer negotiated a deal with the White House to fund the government, while passing a short-term stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security. The two-week timeline is meant to give lawmakers the opportunity to negotiate changes to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates.
“It gives us time, and it gives us leverage to secure the protections we need for our communities. For if we do not do that, we will not be able to bring the kinds of pressure that are necessary to make sure that ICE does not continue to terrorize our communities,” said Rep. Rosa Delauro (D-CT), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee.
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Democrats have outlined a handful of demands for the negotiations, including removing immigration agents from Minnesota, requiring judicial warrants for immigration operations, and banning masks for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Despite the partial government shutdown, ICE operations are still funded from money Republicans approved last year in Trump’s tax law.