House Republicans Nudge Through Homeland Security Funding Bill Amid Widespread Democratic Opposition
A contentious funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which spearheads President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, narrowly passed the House on Thursday with a narrow margin of 220-207. Despite mounting public outcry and Democratic opposition to its heavy-handed tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere, Republicans were able to secure approval for the measure, largely due to some Democrats joining nearly all Republicans in voting in favor.
The vote came after an Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, in Minneapolis earlier this month. Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar, had urged caution against supporting the bill, citing its potential to further empower Trump's immigration agenda.
"Taxpayer dollars are being misused to brutalize US citizens," Jeffries said in a statement. "This extremism must end." Despite these efforts, Republicans were able to secure the necessary votes to move forward with the funding bill.
While some Democrats had expressed opposition to the measure, others acknowledged that not supporting it could lead to a partial government shutdown and adverse effects on other critical agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
"We have finally turned the page," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. "Republicans have delivered once again in making the America First agenda a reality."
However, not all Democrats were convinced by this narrative. Several lawmakers, including Arizona Senator Rueben Gallego, refused to support the bill due to its continued funding of ICE's immigration enforcement operations.
In contrast, some Democrats like Representative Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut voted against the bill, citing her own frustrations with the agency's excessive powers and need for reform. "I share their frustration," she said. "But we cannot allow a lapse in funding that could harm critical agencies while ICE continues to operate without change."
The Senate now must act on the funding bills before January 30th to avoid a partial government shutdown. With Democrats facing increasing pressure from constituents over the agency's brutal tactics, it remains to be seen whether they will successfully rein in ICE's operations or resist efforts to fund its activities.
A contentious funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which spearheads President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, narrowly passed the House on Thursday with a narrow margin of 220-207. Despite mounting public outcry and Democratic opposition to its heavy-handed tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere, Republicans were able to secure approval for the measure, largely due to some Democrats joining nearly all Republicans in voting in favor.
The vote came after an Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, in Minneapolis earlier this month. Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar, had urged caution against supporting the bill, citing its potential to further empower Trump's immigration agenda.
"Taxpayer dollars are being misused to brutalize US citizens," Jeffries said in a statement. "This extremism must end." Despite these efforts, Republicans were able to secure the necessary votes to move forward with the funding bill.
While some Democrats had expressed opposition to the measure, others acknowledged that not supporting it could lead to a partial government shutdown and adverse effects on other critical agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
"We have finally turned the page," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. "Republicans have delivered once again in making the America First agenda a reality."
However, not all Democrats were convinced by this narrative. Several lawmakers, including Arizona Senator Rueben Gallego, refused to support the bill due to its continued funding of ICE's immigration enforcement operations.
In contrast, some Democrats like Representative Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut voted against the bill, citing her own frustrations with the agency's excessive powers and need for reform. "I share their frustration," she said. "But we cannot allow a lapse in funding that could harm critical agencies while ICE continues to operate without change."
The Senate now must act on the funding bills before January 30th to avoid a partial government shutdown. With Democrats facing increasing pressure from constituents over the agency's brutal tactics, it remains to be seen whether they will successfully rein in ICE's operations or resist efforts to fund its activities.
i mean, come on people! Renee Good was just trying to help her son with his immigration issues and ICE goes and shoots her dead? 
it's like they're not even human beings anymore. I know some democrats were saying we can't afford to shut down the government but what's more important, paying for our kids' schools or funding an agency that's basically a gang of thugs in uniforms? 
and why are we still sending money to ICE anyway? it seems like they're just going to use it to keep on harassing innocent people. i'm so sick of this administration and their "America First" nonsense... it's just more like America First, Screw Everyone Else 
i'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... like what even is an "America First" agenda? seems like republicans are prioritizing some dude trump's immigration policies over actual americans who get hurt by these harsh measures 
37-year-old woman gets shot and killed, not a partisan issue, but i guess that doesn't count when it comes to voting for the party... meanwhile, democrats are stuck between a rock and a hard place - don't fund ice or risk shutdown, but also can't just let them continue with no oversight... what's the real solution here? 
. some people say we gotta support the bill or there'll be a partial shutdown, but i think that's just a cop-out 
. what aboutICE's human rights record? shouldn't that matter? 
. On the other hand, I do think some of our lawmakers need to get a grip on the fact that ICE's tactics are just plain wrong and start working towards real reform instead of giving in to the pressure from Republicans. We can't keep sending mixed signals here 
... I mean, I get that some Democrats had to weigh their options and consider the potential consequences of not supporting it, but come on, can't they just stand up for what's right? 
The fact that ICE is still getting funded despite all this outrage is just, like, a huge red flag. And what about Renee Good's family? They deserve justice, you know? 
I'm not buying the narrative that Republicans are being heroic by passing this bill... it's just more of the same old politics as usual 
.
I'm so worried about this 
. It shows that even within our own party, we're not always united in standing up against injustice 
. We need to hold our leaders accountable and demand change 
. The idea that "we can't have a partial government shutdown" is just a cop-out 
. I'm keeping an eye on the Senate's response to this bill 
. We need to keep the pressure on our lawmakers until they take action 
.
RENEE GOOD WAS JUST A MUMBLE-FOOL, SHOT AND KILLED BY SOMEONE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING PEOPLE, NOT HURTING THEM. 
IT'S TIME FOR SOME DEMOCRATS TO STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 
WE NEED CHANGE, NOT MORE FUNDS FOR ICE TO CONTINUE THEIR BRUTAL TACTICS.
IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO REALIZE THAT THEY'RE JUST ENABLING ICE'S BAD BEHAVIOR AND PUTTING US CITIZENS AT RISK. 
It's time for our leaders to step up and do what's best for this country, not just what's good for their party agendas.