WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders told members in a closed session Wednesday that they intend to vote against the bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, citing concerns that it does not do enough to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to two people present.
Their position reflects the party’s outrage over the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by ICE agents this month, and signals that the overwhelming majority of 213 House Democrats will vote against the DHS bill.
“For the past 24 hours, I’ve heard members of my party say loudly that ICE is not doing enough, that we’re not making enough of these reforms. This lawlessness has to stop,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) told reporters after the meeting. “And they’re only doing this because they can. They’re only doing this because the president of the United States wants to use them to terrorize communities and the American people.”
Aguilar, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) all announced Wednesday they would not vote.
But Democratic opposition won’t be enough to block funding to DHS and ICE. Democratic leaders have no plans to oppose the bill, according to two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions. This could allow some moderate Democrats who face a tough re-election fight to join and support Republicans.
Indeed, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, urged his colleagues in a closed session to support the DHS funding bill negotiated with Republicans.
Mr. Cuellar touted some Democratic legislative victories and urged his colleagues to vote in their districts, according to people familiar with the matter.
Specifically, Democrats set aside $20 million to “procure, deploy, and operate body-worn cameras” for ICE officers, Democrats on the Appropriations committee said in a statement. And while keeping the overall $10 billion ICE budget flat, the bill would cut funding for ICE enforcement and removal operations by $115 million and reduce the number of ICE detention beds by 5,500.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democratic spending lawmaker who negotiated a package of spending bills that would fund DHS as well as the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Defense, argued that the bipartisan, bicameral agreement would avoid a partial government shutdown next week.
Still, she acknowledged that the DHS bill does not include broad reforms to ICE. Part of the agreement, he said, was that the Republican majority would allow Democrats to vote on the DHS bill separately from larger policies.
While Mr. DeLauro touted the deal, he did not intend to vote in favor of the DHS bill.
“We didn’t get what we fought for…The decision is up to Stephen Miller in the White House,” DeLauro explained Tuesday night. “But is there anything good for TSA? Is there anything good for FEMA if the house is blown up? Is there anything good for the Coast Guard?”
He added that with the Jan. 30 closure deadline approaching, negotiators need to act. “I’ve made an agreement. Let’s go. Let’s move. Then the people will decide what they want.”
