The United States Senate voted Friday in support of a major funding bill to keep the federal government open.
Included in the package advanced by last week’s 71-29 vote were five regular appropriations bills, as well as a two-week stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
This represents a departure from the proposal advanced by House lawmakers, as the lower chamber had voted to fully fund DHS, albeit by a more narrow margin than for the other departments.
Because the Senate opted to take a different direction than the House, representatives must again consider and approve the funding measures before they can take effect. Consequently, the government entered a partial shutdown on January 30.
Unlike last year’s full government shutdown, this short-term closure is unlikely to result in any visible or tangible effects for most of the American public, including those interacting with government services.
Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is among the organizations currently without funding, the Associated Press reports that the agency should be sufficiently funded for the time being to address the severe winter storms still impacting parts of the country.
At its core, the debate in Congress over these spending bills boils down to a disagreement between Democrats and Republicans over funding for DHS, and by extension ICE.
To avert another widespread and potentially prolonged government shutdown, an agreement was reached by lawmakers to split the DHS appropriations bill from those funding the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and State, among others.
When the funding bills went before the Senate, however, they were initially joined together into a single package, meaning that lawmakers had to either vote in support of all six bills or none of them.
After this move failed to gain enough support, senators agreed to pass five of the bills together and advance a stopgap for DHS to buy time for continued negotiations over funding for ICE.
Instead of approving the House version of the DHS measure, senators opted to support a two-week stopgap bill that will give lawmakers a chance to further negotiate a long-term plan to fund the department.
Should the House green light the Senate’s version of these appropriations bills, the funding package will be sent to the President’s desk for a signature, at which point all corners of the federal government will again be open for business.
While Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins (R) has issued remarks about her decision to vote in support of the final package, and Sen. Angus King (I) released a statement earlier last week focused on his opposition to the original six-bill package the chamber considered.
Sen. Collins said that the passage of the amended package was an “important milestone” and show “that Congress can work together in a bipartisan manner” to fulfill its responsibilities.
“This evening,” Collins said in a statement shared Friday, “the Senate passed legislation that includes full-year funding for five important Appropriations bills.”
“These bills will support our national security through investments in our military; strengthen court security and invest in oversight of federal programs; support lifesaving biomedical research; modernize our nation’s outdated air traffic system and address the air traffic controller shortage; and support America’s workforce, and children and families,” she said.
“In addition, this legislation continues funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to allow us additional time to consider proposals to supplement the reforms already in the bill, such as body-worn cameras for ICE officers,” said Collins.
“When his package is signed into law, in addition to the previously passed bills, we will have funded 96 percent of all of government,” Collins said. “This marks an important milestone and shows that Congress can work together in a bipartisan manner to carry out our Article I responsibilities and deliver results for the people we are honored to represent.”
Click Here to Read Sen. Collins’ Full Statement
King’s statement on his opposition to the original six-bill package considered by the Senate earlier in the week focuses fundamentally on his stance regarding ICE.
“I hate shutdowns, but I cannot in good faith vote for a bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security, specifically ICE, under these circumstances,” said King. “ICE’s conduct in Maine and across the nation has blatantly violated the Constitution and harmed our communities.”
“This heavy-handed, heavily armed approach to immigration enforcement has endangered many and left U.S. citizens fearful to go about their daily lives,” King said. “The federal agents have set aside the vital protections granted by the First, Second, and Fourth Amendment in their overzealous, aggressive actions.”
“The solution remains clear—separate the part of the bill that funds DHS from the rest,” he said. “Pass the five noncontroversial spending bills immediately, and then give the DHS budget a continuing resolution for a few weeks so that Congress has the time to debate and establish necessary guardrails and civilian protections.”
“This is the way to help ensure the safety of civilians, and put a stop to the unconstitutional and deadly actions we’ve recently witnessed ICE carry out,” said King.
Click Here to Read Sen. King’s Full Statement
This ongoing partial government shutdown is expected to last until at least Tuesday as lawmakers in the House prepare to vote on the Senate-approved package.
