The Left are nothing but obstructionists. It’s more obvious with every passing day.
And now Democrats are about to send the U.S. spiraling into another shutdown.
Democrats’ Rigid Demands Prolong Homeland Security Funding Standoff
As the deadline for Department of Homeland Security funding rapidly approaches on February 13, 2026, Democrats continue to dig in their heels, refusing to back a simple extension and instead demanding sweeping overhauls to ICE operations that Republicans see as weakening border enforcement.
This marks the extension of a contentious battle isolated from the broader government spending deal funded through September, fueled by partisan clashes over immigration policies.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lambasted Republicans on X, claiming, “Republicans have not gotten serious about negotiating a solution that reins in ICE and stops the violence.” He further insisted that “Democrats will not support a CR,” signaling their unwillingness to avert a potential shutdown despite the risks to essential services like the U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA.
Coast Guard Admiral Thomas Allan highlighted the dire consequences, warning, “A funding lapse has severe and lasting challenges for our workforce, operational readiness, and long-term capabilities,” and noting that non-essential missions unrelated to “national security” or “the protection of life, property” would grind to a halt.
Republicans, showing more pragmatism, have urged flexibility, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune advising his caucus, “We’re not canceling trips, I guess. But I assume those would be individual decisions that individual senators will make about whether or not they’re going to continue to attend,” and adding, “As soon as we can strike a deal, we’ll vote on it. But until then, I don’t know if there’s any point in keeping people around here sitting around doing nothing.”
Top Democrat’s Outlandish Funding Split Idea Meets Swift GOP Rejection
In a surprising twist that underscores Democratic desperation, House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro floated a plan to bifurcate DHS funding, isolating ICE and Customs and Border Protection from the rest of the agency—a move critics view as a ploy to starve enforcement efforts.
DeLauro threatened, “If Republican leadership blocks this legislation from moving forward, they are responsible for any shuttered agencies, furloughed workers, missed paychecks, or reduced services.” However, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso dismissed the idea outright on X, declaring, “Not happening.”
This proposal comes amid Democrats’ broader push for reforms like banning agent masking and mandating judicial warrants for immigration actions, which they delayed articulating for weeks after abandoning a bipartisan DHS bill.
Thune’s spokesperson Ryan Wrasse called out the hypocrisy, stating, “after Dems backed away from the bipartisan DHS bill, it took them weeks to produce new legislative text. Dems now giving the White House days to reciprocate. Who’s being unreasonable?”
He emphasized Schumer’s hardline stance with, “Keep this line in mind if there’s a lapse in funding: ‘Democrats will not support a CR.’”
Democrats Reject White House Olive Branch, Risking Needless Shutdown Chaos
Further highlighting their intransigence, Democrats including Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries rebuffed the White House’s counteroffer to their reform demands, calling it “both incomplete and insufficient.”
While ICE has secured separate funding through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to advance President Trump’s immigration agenda, the rest of DHS hangs in the balance, potentially leading to furloughs and service disruptions that Republicans argue could be avoided if Democrats showed willingness to compromise.
This ongoing gridlock exemplifies how Democratic fixation on curbing enforcement is dragging out the process, endangering national security operations at a critical time.
