Senators have reached a deal to advance a major package of spending bills, averting a partial government shutdown that was set to begin on Saturday. The agreement, confirmed by the office of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, involves splitting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from other spending measures and funding DHS for two weeks at current levels.
Schumer is using the deal to buy time for further negotiations over Democrats' demands for changes to immigration enforcement. These include ending mask-wearing by federal agents, imposing a code of conduct, and enabling independent investigations of violations. The push follows the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, which Democrats say highlight the need to 'rein in ICE and end the violence'.
While the deal prevents a broader shutdown, a temporary lapse in DHS funding remains possible because any changes to the DHS bill require approval from the House of Representatives, which is out of session until Monday. The impact of such a lapse is unclear. A key vote to avert the shutdown had failed in the Senate earlier on Thursday.
