Most House Democrats have voted against a bipartisan bill aimed at funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the end of the fiscal year, allowing the agency’s shutdown to continue despite warnings about growing national security threats.
The vote came just hours after President Donald Trump announced that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had been removed from her position and that Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) would be nominated as her replacement.
Funding Bill Passes House Despite Democratic Opposition
The DHS funding measure passed the House in a 221–209 vote, but it faced overwhelming opposition from Democrats.
Only four Democrats voted in favor of the bill:
- Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)
- Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (D-WA)
- Rep. Don Davis (D-NC)
The rest of the Democrat caucus voted against the legislation.
A nearly identical funding bill had already passed the House in January, but Republican leaders brought the measure back for another vote due to heightened national security concerns.
Bill Originated in Earlier Bipartisan Negotiations
The legislation was originally negotiated on a bipartisan basis following the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history, which lasted 43 days and ended in November.
The bill would fund DHS operations through September 30, the end of the fiscal year.
It also included several provisions requested by Democrats, including:
• Body-worn camera requirements for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents
• Additional training on public engagement and de-escalation tactics
Despite those concessions, Democrats largely abandoned the agreement amid political fallout from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
Democrats Demand Additional Limits on Immigration Enforcement
Democrat leaders have said they will continue withholding support until further restrictions are imposed on ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations.
The shift came after an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota sparked protests.
During demonstrations against ICE, two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal agents, according to reports cited by Democrats.
The enforcement operation has since concluded.
Jeffries Dismisses Impact of Noem’s Removal
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said the removal of Noem does not change Democrats’ position.
“It’s not like Kristi Noem was the one who was involved in negotiating anything,” Jeffries said.
“She was a corrupt lackey.
“So we were dealing with the White House before, and we’re going to continue to deal with the White House at this point.”
Republicans Warn Shutdown Weakens Homeland Security
Republican leaders argue the shutdown could undermine national security at a time of rising international tensions.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) warned that shutting down DHS while the United States is engaged in military operations overseas could increase domestic vulnerabilities.
“Now is the time to be vigilant at home and to ensure that all of our doors are locked, so to speak,” Johnson said during a press conference.
“And yet, as all this is happening, we have Democrats running around here playing political games in Congress. It’s infuriating.
“They’ve shut down the very agency that is responsible for securing the homeland.”
Democrats Reject GOP Argument
Jeffries rejected Republican claims that the shutdown threatens national security.
“Donald Trump launches an unauthorized war in the Middle East,” Jeffries said when asked about the issue earlier this week.
“He decides that he wants to spend billions of dollars to bomb Iran, rather than spend taxpayer dollars to lower the grocery bills that are crushing the American people, and then wants to use his unauthorized war as an excuse to continue spending taxpayer dollars to brutalize or kill American citizens by continuing to unleash ICE without restriction on the American people?”
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Jeffries said.
Senate Filibuster Keeps Shutdown in Place
Ultimately, ending the DHS shutdown will depend on action in the U.S. Senate.
The Senate voted Thursday on the same legislation that passed the House in January.
However, the bill failed to reach the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster, leaving the funding dispute unresolved.
READ MORE – Liberal News Outlet Praises Trump’s Iran Campaign: ‘Stunning Operational Success’
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