Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said Sunday he "absolutely" expects a partial government shutdown tied to Department of Homeland Security funding, with Congress facing a Feb. 13 deadline after a recently enacted spending law extended DHS funding only briefly.
Fetterman made the comments on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo.
"I absolutely would expect that it's going to shut down. I know, we the Democrats, we provided, I think it was 10 kinds of basic things, and then the Republican[s] pushed back quickly, saying that that's like a Christmas wish list and that there are nonstarters," he said.
He added that he did not know Democrats' specific "red lines" and said he did not expect Democrats to get everything they want.
DHS funding became the remaining flash point after President Donald Trump signed a broader funding package Feb. 3 that ended a four-day partial shutdown that began Jan. 31.
The law funded most agencies through Sept. 30 while leaving DHS on a short continuing resolution through Feb. 13.
A DHS funding lapse would trigger shutdown procedures that typically require the department to continue activities related to life, safety, and property protection while furloughing other work, according to DHS guidance on appropriations lapses.
Even so, the practical impact could vary by component.
CBS News reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection would keep operating during a shutdown because they received large multiyear funding infusions in separate legislation, while other DHS functions could still face disruption depending on available funding and legal authorities.
The political fight has centered on immigration enforcement and oversight of DHS operations.
Senate Democrats pushed for limits or conditions tied to Trump's immigration enforcement after two people were killed in Minneapolis in encounters involving federal agents.
The Trump administration began deploying body cameras to immigration agents in Minnesota as part of the post-incident response.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has framed Democrats' demands as a threat to DHS operations and officer safety, arguing that requirements for immigration agents to remove face coverings and carry visible identification could expose personnel to retaliation and complicate enforcement.
He said Democrats are seeking restraints that go beyond the $20 million for body cameras included in the stopgap plan, and he blamed the impasse on what he described as new conditions tied to how agents conduct arrests and patrols.
Democrats, for their part, have pressed for accountability measures that include requiring agents to wear body cameras, unmasking and identifying agents during enforcement actions, and tightening rules on the use of warrants, according to Axios.
Democrats have also pushed to end roving patrols and add other limits on ICE operations as a condition for moving from a short-term extension to longer-term DHS funding.
Senators are scheduled to return to Washington on Monday, leaving negotiators with days to reach a DHS agreement, pass another short-term extension, or shut down DHS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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