Cooler but still well above normal this week

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

With pressure mounting, senators moved quickly Thursday to debate a “last and final” offer to end the 

 and put the livelihoods of Transportation Security Administration workers in jeopardy as Republicans try to address Democratic demands for changes to President Donald Trump’s 

A test vote was failing to advance an earlier proposal as the new approach appeared to be taking shape behind closed doors.

, R-S.D., as he announced he had given the final offer to the Democrats.

Thune did not disclose details of the new framework, but he said that it picked up on what had been the Republican offer over the weekend, before talks with the White House and Democrats had broken off.

“Hopefully ... there will be some finality in this real soon,” Thune said.

 but lawmakers have yet to resolve the underlying issue of reining in 

immigration and mass deportation operations

Democrats argue the GOP proposals have not gone far enough at putting guardrails on officers from ICE, Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies who are engaged in the immigration sweeps, particularly after the 

Trump, who has largely left the issue to Congress to resolve, threatened to send the National Guard to airports, in addition his deployment of ICE agents who are now checking travelers IDs — a development drawing concerns.

“They need to end this shutdown immediately or we'll have to take drastic measures,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

With Congress set to leave town by week’s end for its spring break, calls are intensifying for an end to the stalemate that has left TSA officers unpaid and many not showing up for work.

Multiple airports are experiencing greater than 40% callout rates of TSA workers and nearly 500 of its nearly 50,000 transportation security officers have now quit during the shutdown. Nationwide on Wednesday, more than 11% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, according to DHS. That is more than 3,120 callouts.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

 some travelers reported missing flights after spending hours in security lines.

Melissa Gates said she would not make her flight to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after waiting than 2½ hours and still not reaching the security checkpoint. She said no other flights were available until Friday.

“I should have just driven, right?” Gates said of her 260-mile (418-kilometer) trip. “Five hours would have been hilarious next to this.”

A ‘last and final’ offer on the table

Senators retreated to privately discuss the latest offer as a core group of more than 10 senators, Democrats and Republicans, worked to hammer out the details. More voting was possible.

"I think we all realize we’re not going anywhere until this is done,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

Earlier this week, the GOP offer added a new restraint on immigration officers, funding the use of body cameras that had previously been agreed to. It excluded other policies that Democrats have demanded, such as that federal agents wear identification, remove their face masks and refrain from conducting raids around schools, churches or other sensitive places.

Thune indicated the new proposal picked up where earlier negotiations broke off. Over the weekend, talks with the White House, including with border czar Tom Homan, appeared to be making progress toward a deal. The White House had presented its own offer with several items Democrats had been demanding, including officer IDs and training.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said they needed to see real changes. “We’ve been talking about ICE reforms from day one,” he said.

Any deal will almost certainly need to involved a compromise as lawmakers on the left and right flanks revolt. Conservative Republicans have panned their own GOP proposals, demanding full funding for immigration operations and skeptical of the promise from leaders that they would address Trump’s proof-of-citizenship 

The Republican president initially signed off on one plan the GOP senators brought to him late Monday. By Tuesday, he said he would not be happy with any deal.

Trump did not directly address the status of negotiations late Wednesday evening during an annual fundraising dinner for the House Republicans’ campaign committee as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., works to keep majority control in the November elections.

On Thursday, the president revived his campaign for senators to end the filibuster as a way to overpower opposition to GOP policies, something most Republican senators do not want to do.

 that Trump signed into law last year funneled billions to DHS, including $75 billion for ICE operations, ensuring the money is flowing for his immigration and deportation agenda even with the funding shutdown. ICE and other immigration officers are still being paid.

Republicans say the Trump administration has already made strides to meet Democrats’ demands, particularly after swearing in 

 as the new homeland security secretary to replace Kristi Noem.

Airport lines grow as TSA workers endure hardships

Lines and wait times are expected to grow Thursday and Friday at 

 because of “significantly higher passenger traffic,” according to an update on the airport’s website.

“This is a dire situation,” the acting TSA administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, testified at a House hearing Wednesday.

 facing unpaid TSA workers — piling up bills and eviction notices, even plasma donations to make ends meet — and warned of potential airport closures if more employees refuse to come to work.

“At this point, we have to look at all options on the table,” she said.

McNeil also said TSA officers working at the nation’s airports have experienced a more than 500% increase in the frequency of assaults since the shutdown began.

“This is unacceptable,” McNeill said.

Politics and Government News

Homepage

The Associated Press

Author

Senators are trying to moved quickly to debate a “last and final” offer to end the funding impasse involving the Department of Homeland Security.

Senators are discussing 'last and final' offer to end funding shutdown as pressure mounts

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox