7 Democrats Defect–Stun Party!

Senate Democrats threaten a government shutdown over DHS funding, risking harm to American families and security just as President Trump ramps up border enforcement.

Story Snapshot

House Republicans passed a $1.2 trillion funding package on January 23, 2026, with seven Democrats crossing the aisle to include $64 billion for DHS and $10 billion for ICE.
Minnesota shootings involving ICE agents fuel Democratic demands for body cameras and cuts to enforcement, breaking a prior bipartisan spending truce.
The bundled bill heads to the Senate ahead of the January 30 deadline, pressuring Democrats who oppose ICE funding amid Trump’s deportation push.
ICE remains operational due to $75 billion from the 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill,” shielding enforcement from shutdown impacts unlike TSA and FEMA.

House Passes Funding Amid Democratic Defections

On January 23, 2026, the House approved a $1.2 trillion spending package bundling DHS with Pentagon, Labor-HHS-Education, and other bills. Seven moderate Democrats—Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Don Davis of North Carolina, Laura Gillen, and Tom Suozzi of New York—joined Republicans to pass it. The DHS portion allocates $64 billion overall and $10 billion specifically for ICE, incorporating $20 million for body cameras and training after Minnesota incidents where an ICE agent killed U.S. citizen Renée Good and another shot an undocumented man. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole called it a “good, solid bill” advancing professionalism. This action counters Senate Democratic signals of opposition, highlighting fractures in their ranks as border-state representatives prioritize constituency needs over party demands to rein in ICE.

Minnesota Incidents Ignite Democratic Outrage

Early January 2026 shootings in Minnesota intensified Democratic criticism of ICE operations under President Trump’s heightened interior enforcement. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated his caucus was “overwhelmingly” dissatisfied, pushing for guardrails like body cameras to prevent citizen detentions and abuses. Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro critiqued the bill for cutting ICE enforcement by $115 million and reducing detention beds by 5,500 plus $1.8 billion from Border Patrol, yet argued it lacked broader reforms. These events echo past Democratic calls to defund or dismantle ICE, mirroring 2020-2021 debates, but moderates broke ranks to avert shutdown harms to non-ICE agencies like TSA and FEMA. Republicans rejected conservative amendments from figures like Ralph Norman and Thomas Massie targeting earmarks and mandates, securing passage post-recess.

Senate Showdown Looms with Bundling Pressure

The funding package now awaits Senate consideration after recess, with Democrats announcing opposition over ICE provisions despite the bundling strategy. This leverages Republican House majority and Democratic reliance on Pentagon and domestic funding to force compromise. Appropriations experts note bundling trumps isolated ICE objections, making outright rejection risky. President Trump, Stephen Miller, and DHS Secretary Noem influence via enforcement priorities, bolstered by ICE’s prior $75 billion allocation insulating it from lapses. Unlike the 2018-2019 wall funding shutdown, this dispute centers on post-shooting accountability, setting FY2026 baselines that temper enforcement while renewing public health and transportation programs.

Short-term risks include January 30 furloughs for TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA workers, delaying disaster aid and straining communities. Long-term, reduced ICE beds may limit Trump’s deportation goals, exposing Democratic divisions that bolster GOP security credentials. Border constituents and federal workers face direct impacts, underscoring how progressive demands risk everyday Americans’ stability.

Implications for Trump Agenda and Conservative Priorities

GOP viewpoints frame the bill as achieving adequate ICE oversight without crippling enforcement essential for public safety and border security. Democrats divided, with progressives favoring shutdown risks over perceived Trump concessions, while moderates prioritize avoiding unpaid furloughs. This political dynamic advances American strength by sustaining operations amid Trump’s America First policies. Economic boosts like $4.6 billion for community health and pharmacy benefit manager curbs proceed, countering past fiscal mismanagement. Conservatives see Democratic tactics as government overreach obstructing secure borders and family protections, urging Senate passage to protect constitutional priorities like national sovereignty.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/174b-spending-package-avert-shutdown-clears-key-hurdle-senate