Reporter's Notebook: Progressives eye shutdown leverage to rein in ICE, Venezuela operations
Democrats face an internal split over using a funding deadline to defund ICE after the ICE-involved shooting in Minnesota as Congress races toward a Jan. 30 shutdown.
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There is a nexus between congressional spending, the Minnesota ICE shooting and military operations related to Venezuela.
It is argued that the power of the purse is one of the most hallowed powers of Congress. This is why a number of progressives are imploring Democrats to use the next government funding round to defund ICE or impose strictures to hamstring ICE in the next government funding round.
Some liberal Democrats even want to force a government shutdown over the shooting in Minnesota. That’s to say nothing of some Democrats wanting to use the power of the purse to hem in the administration on maneuvers in Venezuela or potential future operations in Cuba, Mexico, Colombia or Greenland.
Congress has not yet addressed the funding bills for the Pentagon or State Department for fiscal year 2026.
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A former Secret Service and ICE agent explains why the officer had only seconds to act as a vehicle accelerated toward him in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Funding for nine distinct sections of the federal government expires at the end of the day on Jan. 30. One of those sections is DHS. It’s possible the House could debate that bill in the coming days. This comes as an increasing number of Democrats are demanding that the House impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The House this week approved a "minibus" spending package, tackling appropriations for energy and water programs, the Department of Interior and the departments of Commerce and Justice and science programs. The plan is for the Senate to align with the House on these bills. But, regardless, Congress would probably have to approve another continuing resolution (CR) to keep the lights on in all other quarters of the federal government after Jan. 30.
A CR simply renews all federal funding at present levels. So, it’s likely Congress would OK whatever spending bills they’ve worked out and put everything else in the CR to avoid a shutdown.
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