With fewer than five days to go before a DHS shutdown, Senate Democrats have put bill text for a full-year funding compromise on the table. But another punt is probably still the best-case scenario, and it’s by no means guaranteed.
— What Democrats are pitching: The draft legislation Democrats sent Republicans Sunday would codify the immigration enforcement guardrails outlined by Democratic leaders last week, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the plans. They include new judicial warrant requirements and limits on masking by federal agents.
— Republicans review and prepare for CR: While getting bill text is generally a good thing for the process, after Republicans complained publicly into the weekend about the lack of specifics from Democrats, it hasn’t changed the endgame for this week. Republicans and the White House view some of the ideas as possible areas for negotiation, but it’s just highly unlikely all sides agree to a full-year DHS revamp by Friday at midnight.
Senate Republicans expect to begin taking procedural steps Monday to set up consideration of a DHS funding patch. Senate aides still hope there’s a way to prevent a DHS shutdown, and progress on negotiations could dictate how easy it is to get bipartisan buy-in for another CR. Most Democrats will be reluctant to punt.
— Shutdown still looks likely: Unless the Senate does the unexpected and clears a new CR for DHS by Wednesday, there probably won’t be enough time for the House to follow suit before the shutdown deadline. House GOP leaders have no plans to cancel next week’s recess absent clearer proof of progress in the Senate, meaning a DHS shutdown could take even longer to resolve.
What else we’re watching:
— Ghislaine Maxwell deposition: The House Oversight Committee will depose Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell virtually at 10 a.m. Monday. Maxwell is expected to invoke the Fifth Amendment and be uncooperative with questioning. House Judiciary ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will be reviewing unredacted Epstein files, according to a spokesperson. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) will review the files as well.
— House moves on housing package: The House is expected to swiftly pass a sweeping, bipartisan housing supply bill from the Financial Services Committee on Monday afternoon. After that, it’s unclear how the House and Senate will come together on one of the country’s most urgent cost-of-living problems.
— DC tax bill advances: Senate Republicans are expected to act early this week to pass a measure that would force the District of Columbia to implement GOP tax cuts. The bill, which the House passed along party lines last week, would block a November D.C. budget law that tossed aside tax provisions from last year’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Jordain Carney, Hailey Fuchs and Cassandra Dumay contributed to this report.
