Republicans are showing growing divisions over how to avert a partial U.S. government shutdown, as lawmakers race against the clock with just two and a half days remaining before federal funding expires.
Senate Democrats are presenting a largely unified position, insisting that any funding agreement for the Department of Homeland Security must include sweeping immigration enforcement reforms. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer outlined those demands this week, calling for limits on so-called roving immigration patrols, stronger accountability for officers who violate agency rules, and new requirements for immigration agents to wear body cameras and remove face coverings while on duty.
Republicans swiftly rejected those proposals, but cracks are emerging within GOP ranks over how to proceed if negotiations stall.
At the center of the debate is Schumer’s fallback plan: separating the Homeland Security funding bill from a broader package of government spending measures and passing the remaining bills that already have bipartisan support. Schumer says the move would be easy and effective, allowing Congress to fund the vast majority of the federal government while buying time to negotiate DHS funding separately.
The broader spending package currently under consideration accounts for about 80 percent of discretionary federal spending. Removing the DHS bill would allow lawmakers to fund roughly 96 percent of government operations, after six of the twelve annual appropriations bills were already passed earlier this year.
Some Republicans are openly warming to the idea.
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana says Congress should move forward with the portions of the budget both parties agree on and handle Homeland Security through a short-term continuing resolution.
“At this juncture, the smart play is to carve out the Homeland Security bill,” Kennedy told reporters. “We can fight over that, but in the meantime, pass the other bills.”
Kennedy claims that several Republican senators quietly support the strategy, though many are reluctant to say so publicly. At least two GOP lawmakers have broken ranks openly. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she would support splitting the package, while Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota said separating the non-controversial bills could help avoid a broader shutdown.
Those five bills would fund key departments, including Defense, Health and Human Services, Treasury, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Education—measures Rounds says could pass easily.
Despite those signals, significant hurdles remain. Schumer estimates only six or seven Republicans currently support the split, far short of the 13 needed to overcome a Senate filibuster. The House would also need to return from recess to approve a revised package before the shutdown deadline early Saturday morning.
Democrats, meanwhile, remain firm in their stance. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey says immigration enforcement reforms are necessary for public safety, particularly following last weekend’s fatal shooting of a civilian by immigration officers in Minnesota—an incident that reignited nationwide outrage and reshaped Democratic negotiating priorities.
Republicans argue the proposed reforms would endanger agents. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma criticized the push to require officers to remove masks, warning it could expose agents and their families to harassment.
Hardline conservatives are also signaling that reopening negotiations could backfire for Democrats. Texas Congressman Chip Roy has already pledged to demand tougher border policies, including bans on sanctuary cities, if talks resume.
For now, GOP leadership is pressing ahead with a procedural vote on the full six-bill package, daring Democrats to block it. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma says Republicans are negotiating from a position of strength, noting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement already has access to billions in previously approved funding that would remain available even during a shutdown.
That dynamic has complicated the debate. While ICE would remain largely insulated, agencies such as FEMA, the TSA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service could face disruptions—an outcome that worries more centrist Republicans, especially after recent winter storms strained emergency response resources.
Still, Kennedy insists there is quiet support within the party for a partial funding strategy, even if GOP leaders publicly maintain an all-or-nothing posture.
“In the Senate,” Kennedy said, “anything can change in 24 hours.”
As the shutdown deadline looms, lawmakers remain locked in high-stakes negotiations, with uncertainty growing over whether Congress can bridge its divisions in time to keep the government fully open.
Reporting by Kathy Moore.
