Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer whines to reporters after his bullying of War Secretary Pete Hegseth backfired. Credit: C-SPAN screenshot
In a move that could trigger a partial government shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that Democrats will not provide the votes needed to advance a key appropriations bill if it includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The announcement comes in the wake of the fatal shooting in Minneapolis involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
Schumer’s statement, released on Saturday, asserted, “What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling —and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE.”
“I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included,” Schumer continued.
What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling—and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to…
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 24, 2026
Before the announcement, Schumer had quoted a New York Times article about the shooting and wrote, “ICE out of Minnesota NOW.”
ICE out of Minnesota NOW. https://t.co/ZRjVXJ63qq
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 24, 2026
CBS News reports:
The House on Thursday passed a funding package, along with a separate measure to fund DHS, sending the bills to the Senate for approval, along with two other funding measures that were passed the House last week.
In the Senate, the DHS funding measure was expected to be packaged with the other legislation that funds key federal departments in hopes the Senate passes the measures together before the Jan. 30 deadline to fund the government.
To advance the legislation, Republicans will likely need eight Democrats to vote for the legislation, since Sen. Rand Paul has generally voted against appropriations bills. If the funding package does not pass the Senate, there will be another partial government shutdown.
Earlier in the day, chaos unfolded in Minneapolis after federal agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.
Pretti had confronted agents in the midst of an operation with a loaded gun and two magazines.
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