WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump moved quickly this week to negotiate with Democrats to try to avert a lengthy government shutdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, a reversal from last year’s record standoff when he refused to concede for weeks.
Some Republicans are frustrated with the deal and have raised the possibility of a lengthy shutdown fight when the House returns to vote on the funding package on Monday. But Trump’s influence over the Republican Party remains considerable, and he has made his position clear at a time of heightened political tensions.
“The only thing that will slow our country down is another long and damaging government shutdown,” Trump wrote on social media late Thursday.
The urgency marks a marked shift from Trump’s approach during the 43-day shutdown late last year, when he openly defied Democratic leaders and his team mocked them on social media. This time, with anger rising over the Minneapolis shootings and the Republican midterm message on tax cuts swamped by controversy, Trump moved quickly to strike a deal with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
“It’s really important that Trump and the Republicans know that they’re on the wrong side of the American people on this issue,” Schumer told reporters Friday after the Senate passed the government funding deal.
Crisis sparked by Minneapolis killings
Senators are back at work this week dealing with the aftermath of the shooting death of Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse in Minneapolis, by federal immigration officials, and the slaying of Renee Good in that city weeks earlier.
The reaction among Republicans was far from unified. Some have called for the firing of senior administration officials such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Policy Director Stephen Miller. Most Republican senators tried to strike a balance, calling for a thorough investigation into Pretty’s killing while supporting the hard-line immigration policies at the heart of Trump’s presidency.
But many agree the shootings threaten public support for Trump’s immigration agenda.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve never seen a political party turn its best problem into its worst problem,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana. “Something has to change.”
Democrats quickly agreed on their key demands.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said there was “agreement” around core principles such as enforcing a code of conduct for immigration officials and agents, ending “roving patrols” for immigration enforcement operations and coordinating immigration arrests with local law enforcement.
It helps that Trump himself is looking for ways to de-escalate the situation in Minneapolis.
“The world has seen videos of horrific abuses and rogue operations by the Department of Homeland Security hunting down innocent people and is disgusted,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
“The White House requested a ladder to come down from the ledge,” he added.
Avoid the painful politics of shutdowns
Republicans are also trying to tout their governing achievements as they prepare for November elections and the daunting task of maintaining control of both houses of Congress.
But the prospect of a lengthy shutdown has diverted attention from the $4.5 trillion tax cut and spending reduction law that is at the center of his agenda. Republicans had hoped Monday’s start to this year’s tax season would provide a political boost as voters began to see larger tax refunds.
Republicans are also mindful of the political damage from last year’s government shutdown, when they took slightly more responsibility from Americans than Democrats did, according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
“The shutdown is a big factor and it’s bad for the Republican Party,” Trump told Republican senators at the White House in November.
On a practical level, this funding impasse threatens to undo months of bipartisan work, including long hours over the holidays, to craft 12 spending bills to fund the government and many domestic priorities.
“We saw what happened with the last government shutdown and how much it hurt really hard-working Americans,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I don’t want that to happen again.”
Two-week battle for funding begins
The deal reached this week, if passed by the House, would avert a lengthy shutdown and provide funding for nearly all federal departments through the end of the budget year in September. But it won’t solve one of the most difficult issues for Congress and the White House: funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Funding for the department was extended for just two weeks instead of a full-year deal, leaving lawmakers with little time to heal deep divisions over immigration enforcement.
Democrats are pressing for reforms they say are necessary to prevent future abuses, including requiring immigration agents to wear body cameras, carry clear identification, end city patrols and coordinate more closely with local law enforcement when making arrests. Many Democrats also want stricter rules on search warrants and accountability mechanisms for officers in the field.
The demands met with fierce resistance from Republicans. Some are simply opposed to negotiating with Democrats.
“Republicans control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. Why should we give in to the Democrats?” Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama wrote on social media.
Republican senators have said they will take on Democrats to show their support for Trump’s policies by introducing bills of their own that include restrictions on “sanctuary cities.” The term generally applies to state and local governments that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“We’ve made this problem go away. We’re not leading. We’re trying to avoid losing rather than winning,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. He delayed the spending bill until Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to allow him to vote on the sanctuary cities bill later.
Thune acknowledged the difficulties of the next two weeks and said there were “some very important perspectives and feelings.”
“We’re going to keep hope alive,” Thune told reporters of the upcoming battle for Homeland Security. “But there are some pretty significant differences of opinion.”
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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
