Republicans hoped to have a deal to fund parts of the Department of Homeland Security, but those talks are hitting snags.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Lines at many airports are getting longer as TSA officers continue to go without pay.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA, has been shut down for more than a month. There have been talks on and off between the White House and Congress to reach a funding deal, but is there actual progress being made?
MARTÍNEZ: Well, let’s ask NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt. Barbara, what’s the view from Capitol Hill?
BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Well, there may be a glimmer of progress here, but I don’t want to oversell it. It’s still just a glimmer.
MARTÍNEZ: OK.
SPRUNT: Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration enforcement ever since federal officers killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year. Senate Republicans sent Democrats another potential deal yesterday, but top Democrats said it didn’t have the significant reforms that they want to see. What’s new is the potential to fund DHS minus ICE’s detention and deportation operations. And this would allow the rest of the department to get funded, including those TSA officers currently working without pay.
MARTÍNEZ: I know Democrats have been pushing to fund DHS without any funding for ICE for some time. This plan isn’t quite that. It sounds a little close, so are Democrats sold on it?
SPRUNT: Not right now. They’re concerned that there won’t be major changes to ICE enforcement tactics. One example that they’ve been pushing for is a ban on face coverings for agents and changes to warrant procedures. Now, as a reminder, ICE still has money despite the current shutdown, and that’s because of an injection of tens of billions of dollars that they got last year. But as this deal emerges, it’s not just Democrats who are hesitant. Some Republicans are, too.
MARTÍNEZ: Republicans? Why?
SPRUNT: Well, they’re worried about the process. The White House is still going to want to fund ICE enforcement. That’s not going away. The suggestion is to fund the rest of DHS now and deal with ICE later, with a budget tool that would let Republicans pass it without Democrats’ support. That’s called reconciliation. And if they’re going down that road, some Republicans want to include another big legislative priority for President Trump in that same process – passing an elections overhaul package. But to use reconciliation, the legislation has to comply with a very specific set of budget rules, and it’s unclear that provisions of the bill would be able to get past those rules. In fact, yesterday, Utah Senator Mike Lee, who’s a major supporter of the elections bill, said it’s essentially impossible for it to pass in this way.
MARTÍNEZ: I know President Trump is a supporter as well. Has he weighed in on this?
SPRUNT: He has. Here’s what he said yesterday.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I don’t want to comment until I see the deal, but as you know, they’re negotiating a deal. I guess they’re getting fairly close. But I think any deal they make – I’m pretty much not happy with it.
SPRUNT: Now, I don’t think that type of comment – basically, I’m probably not going to be happy, no matter what – instills a lot of confidence for GOP lawmakers. It leaves room for him to ultimately reject whatever framework emerges from these plans. And Democrats say it makes it hard for them as well. Here is Senator Patty Murray of Washington on the ongoing negotiations.
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PATTY MURRAY: They would be a lot more productive if the president didn’t keep making new and unreasonable demands over social media. It is awfully hard to find common ground with Republicans when it’s not clear that they have common ground amongst themselves.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. So what now?
SPRUNT: Well, Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he wants to get DHS funded by the end of the week. There’s a two-week recess coming up for Congress. But I think it’s hard to commit to that. There has been a lot of whiplash around here over the last few days. It’s hard to see a clear path forward.
MARTÍNEZ: That’s NPR’s Barbara Sprunt. Barbara, thanks.
SPRUNT: Thank you.
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