Senate Vote Collapses Over ICE Killings While Government Shut Down Looms Just Hours Away
Washington plunged into uncertainty on Thursday as a crucial Senate test vote collapsed, leaving the threat of a partial government shutdown looming dangerously close. The White House, Democrats, and Republicans remain locked in a standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). What was intended to be a procedural step to keep the lights on has transformed into a fierce debate over federal policing tactics.Fatal Shootings in Minnesota Derail the Massive Spending DealOnly a week ago, the six-measure bill appeared ready to sail through Congress without significant opposition. However, the political landscape shifted violently following the killing of a second Minnesotan by federal agents. This incident has thrown Capitol Hill into chaos, forcing a re-evaluation of the spending package that must be passed by Friday to keep the government running.Senate Democrats are now demanding that the DHS spending bill be stripped entirely from the broader package. Their objective is to isolate the agency's funding while they work out necessary reforms to its operations. Negotiations remained stalled as of Thursday morning, though sources familiar with the discussions indicated that talks between the two parties were beginning to pick up steam.The controversy centres on the death of Alex Pretti, which marks the second fatal shooting this month by federal agents in the Twin Cities. These forces were deployed to the region as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration action. Tensions were already high following the January 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a protest.Bipartisan Opposition Sinks The Initial Test Vote MeasureThe intensity of the disagreement was made clear on the Senate floor, where the test vote to avoid a shutdown failed 55-45. Fifty-five senators voted against advancing the funding package, a coalition that included every Democrat and seven Republicans. While the result was a collective rejection of the bill, the motivations behind the votes were starkly different.Democrats' concerns were uniformly focused on the actions of ICE and the DHS, driven by the recent violence in Minnesota. Conversely, the Republican 'no' votes came from conservatives who were angry about what they perceived to be wasteful spending within the half-dozen appropriations bills. This unusual alignment of opposition has complicated the path forward for leadership in both parties.President Trump Remains Optimistic Despite Crumbling Legislative TimelineWith the clock ticking down, GOP senators have expressed an openness to passing a short-term funding measure for DHS. This would allow lawmakers to continue negotiating a compromise without triggering a shutdown. Democrats have insisted that any such funding extension must be as short as possible, likely lasting only a matter of weeks.Despite the legislative breakdown, President Donald Trump projected confidence during a Cabinet meeting with his secretaries. He stated that he believes the White House and Congress are 'getting close' to a resolution.'Hopefully we won't have a shutdown,' Trump said. 'We're working on that right now. I think we're getting close. The Democrats, I don't believe want to see it either. So, we'll work in a very bipartisan way.'
