Fetterman says he expects another government shutdown

 The Democratic senator said he “doesn’t see a path” to agreement on Homeland Security funding.

I fully expect it will shut down,” John Fetterman said. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Sunday he expects a partial government shutdown as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Funding for DHS is set to expire Friday, following a two-week extension lawmakers approved to allow more time for negotiations over Democrats’ push for changes to immigration enforcement.

“I absolutely expect it’s going to shut down,” Sen. John Fetterman said in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “We, the Democrats, put forward ten basic proposals, and the Republicans quickly dismissed them as a ‘Christmas wish list’ and nonstarters. I honestly don’t know which of these are dealbreakers, but it’s clear we won’t get all ten.”

On Wednesday, Democrats outlined 10 demands aimed at placing guardrails on the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration crackdown, including requirements that Department of Homeland Security officers wear body cameras and display identification.

A partial government shutdown now appears likely, as Republicans have yet to compromise on Democrats’ demands, with key sticking points including a prohibition on immigration enforcement officers wearing masks.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats will not accept anything less than their full list of demands. He added that he had not yet received a response from the White House, Speaker Mike Johnson, or Senate Majority Leader John Thune regarding the proposals.

“In our view, the ball is in the Republicans’ court,” Jeffries said on CNN’s State of the Union. “Either they agree to fundamentally reform how ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies operate so they function like every other law enforcement agency in the country, or they are making the explicit choice to shut down the Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA. That would be very unfortunate.”