House Dem divisions over DHS funding spill out in private call
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 30. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
House Democrats splintered on a private call Sunday over whether to vote for legislation that would keep the Department of Homeland Security funded for two more weeks, a half dozen sources on the call told Axios.
Why it matters: The deal was the result of negotiations between Senate Democrats and the White House, but many House Democrats despise the idea of voting to fund DHS without reforms, even in the short term.
- The fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have stirred overwhelming Democratic sentiment against the department.
- Several lawmakers expressed firm opposition to voting for the funding measure, saying they are a "hell no," sources told Axios.
- But another group of top Democrats also offered points in favor of the bill, including two former top party leaders, sources said.
Driving the news: On the call, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) recounted to members how he told Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Saturday not to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill, sources said.
- Jeffries said he made clear to Johnson that he needed to hear out his caucus first before committing to provide the Democratic votes needed to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority under a process called "suspension."
- Johnson is expected to instead bring up the bill under what is known as a "rule," which allows legislation to pass with a simple majority but requires leadership to overcome several procedural hurdles.
Zoom in: Jeffries said on the call that Democrats will keep with their standard practice of not helping Republicans with those procedural hurdles in the House Rules Committee or on the House floor, sources said.
- Johnson will have to overcome objections from his members and cobble together near-unanimous Republican support to pass the rule.
- Johnson expressed confidence in a Sunday morning TV appearance that he can pass the DHS funding bill along with a package of other appropriations bill that will end the partial government shutdown.
Between the lines: Liberal groups have slammed the 23 Senate Democrats who voted for the deal and are issuing thinly veiled warnings of backlash against House Democrats who do the same.
- But many in the party remain wary of the potential political fallout of entering into another extended government shutdown and are eager to vote for the full funding package including the DHS stopgap measure.
- The two-week funding bill is meant to give the White House and Senate Democrats time to negotiate reforms to DHS and ICE in response to the Minneapolis shootings.
What we're hearing: Several rank-and-file members spoke against the funding deal, including Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), a senior appropriator whose Saint Paul-based district neighbors Minneapolis.
- Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee that deals with DHS funding, argued against keeping the government shut down, sources said.
- Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) — the former House majority leader and whip, respectively — also offered points in favor of the legislation.
- So did Reps. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who represents battleground district members in leadership, and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition.
The bottom line: If Johnson does manage to get the funding package to the floor, the resulting vote could very likely fracture House Democrats down the middle.
