DHS Funding Standoff Puts Government Shutdown in Reach (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: It's hard to believe it, but we are headed to the third government shutdown of Donald Trump's second term in office. These things used to be pretty rare. Now they are very common. And this one has to do with one agency in particular, the Department of Homeland Security, which encompasses a wide range of programs, everything from FEMA, like dealing with natural disasters, or TSA, like airline security. The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security. But this fight has to deal with one issue in particular, immigration enforcement. Democrats are saying that they will not vote for a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless serious changes are made to the way President Trump deploys ICE officers across the country. Among the demands they are making, forcing ICE officers to remove their masks, having them wear body cameras, changing how use of force policies are being employed. Also, judicial warrants, making those part of immigration enforcement actions. Republicans say some of these demands go too far. And the Speaker of the House told me that the White House has made some serious concessions.

[00:01:03] Speaker 2: So does that, would the White House need to move closer to what the Democrats are proposing here?

[00:01:08] Speaker 3: I saw the last proposal sent over the White House. It is eminently reasonable and gives on us on some very meaningful provisions that were part of the discussions. It seems to me the appearance here is that some Democrats, House and Senate, want a government shutdown. They want to impose more pain on the American people. For what? I have no idea.

[00:01:28] Speaker 1: But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that the White House has not gone far enough and that Democrats are prepared to dig in.

[00:01:35] Speaker 4: First, I'm not going to negotiate in public and get into the details. But second, their proposal is not serious, plain and simple. It's very far apart from what we need.

[00:01:47] Speaker 1: Now, the deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security is actually 1159 p.m. Eastern on Friday night. But here's the big problem. The Senate is already gone. Senators left town on Thursday afternoon. And the House is gone, too. House members left on Thursday morning. And on top of that, both chambers are on recess next week for President's Day. And all that means that even if a deal is miraculously reached, government shutdown could drag on for some time, past next week and maybe even longer.

[00:02:17] Speaker 5: We're asking today for the exact same thing that we had two weeks ago, extend this funding for two more weeks.

[00:02:24] Speaker 3: We want to fund the Department of Homeland Security, but only a department that is obeying the law. And for that reason, I would object.