President Donald Trump invited a group of Senate Democrats to the White House to meet with him as another government shutdown loomed, but their invitation was rejected.
Democrats have been demanding that Republicans strip the money for the Department of Homeland Security from the funding package after ICE agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.
The Senate needs to pass a so-called minibus package to fund the government before midnight on January 30, or the U.S. will face a partial government shutdown.
Senate Democrats have said they’re all set with five of the six bipartisan bills in the package, but they want to renegotiate DHS funding, which includes money for ICE, in response to the killing.
The Daily Beast confirmed reporting by CNN that a group of rank-and-file Democratic senators were invited to the White House, but they declined.
“The White House hopes to avoid another debilitating government shutdown, and invited Democrats for a listening session to better understand their position,” a senior White House official said. “It’s unfortunate their leadership blocked the meeting.”
Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate, so they need seven Democrats to vote with them to reach the 60 votes necessary to pass the funding package.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on Wednesday he would like the funding package to stay intact and urged Democrats to negotiate with the administration.
A vote on the six-bill package, including DHS funding, is set for Thursday. GOP lawmakers oppose removing DHS funding from it because it would then have to go back to the House for final passage.
Thune argued on Wednesday that if the bill had to return to the House, it would face additional hurdles given the slim majority, and the process would drag out further. The House is currently in recess.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday that Democrats are united on a set of “commonsense” policy goals.
Democrats want to address a series of provisions, including ending roving ICE patrols, tightening rules around warrants, further enforcing accountability, banning federal agents from wearing masks and requiring body cameras through legislation.
“The DHS bill needs serious work, and Republicans and Democrats alike owe it to the American people to get it right,” Schumer said.
Democrats argued there was no reason to hold up the other five funding bills in the package while they address DHS funding.
Schumer accused the White House of not having any “specific, good concrete ideas” and urged them to negotiate on DHS separately, after the other funding was passed.
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