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This week, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill with a State of the Union and an ongoing partial shutdown on their minds. In the midst of the chaos, Republicans are hoping to finally restore funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
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From The Hill:
Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week facing an uphill climb to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Republicans see an opening after President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday despite few signs that Democrats are willing to compromise on their demands.
Discussions between the two sides have yielded little in recent days, with the White House not issuing a formal counteroffer as of Sunday, after Democrats presented what GOP sources described as a “recycled” proposal last week.
However, some lawmakers are hopeful that negotiations can shake loose starting on Wednesday.
Some Republicans are looking toward this Friday, when DHS employees will miss paychecks for the first time since the shutdown began. They hope that these missed paychecks will serve a a “pressure point” of sorts that will compel their colleagues toward compromise. Others, such as Senator Markwayne Mullin, feel that Democrats are simply holding out until after today’s State of the Union and will resume talks on Wednesday.
Democrats originally demanded significant reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, eventually triggering this partial shutdown. Unlike last fall, however, when Democrats triggered a larger 43-day shutdown, those on the left side of Congress are not showing any intention of backing down. The Hill notes that they “feel they have the political wind at their backs” as many Americans have been uneasy about ICE following the shootings of two U.S. citizens at the hands of immigration enforcement agents earlier this year.
It is important to note that, although it sits at the center of this conflict, ICE is largely unaffected by this shutdown, as the agency was given billions in funding under the Big Beautiful Bill. Other DHS agencies, however, such as the TSA, FEMA, Secret Service, and the Coast Guard, will feel the pinch when employees miss paychecks later this week.
Let’s pray for a swift end to this shutdown, and let’s ask God to provide for all those who will work without pay!
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(Excerpt from The Hill. Photo Credit: DHS photo by Mikaela McGee)
