Republicans give Democrats ‘last and final’ offer on DHS funding as threat of canceling recess looms

Senate Republicans have given their “last and final” offer on a compromise to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday. 

Mr. Thune, South Dakota Republican, declined to say what is in the new offer as the GOP awaits the Democrats’ response.  

“It’s just important that we try and close this down and get it done today,” he said.

The incentive to get a deal has reached its peak point as the end of the week marks the beginning of scheduled two-week congressional recess for the Easter and Passover holidays. Mr. Thune said the Senate will keep to that schedule if lawmakers pass a DHS funding bill, but will stay in Washington if they don’t.

The reception to the latest GOP plan could become clear when the Senate holds another test vote Thursday afternoon on breaking a filibuster on a motion to proceed to a legislative vehicle for any deal that can be reached. 

All Democrats but Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman voted against proceeding to the vehicle on Wednesday, as they continued to push for immigration enforcement policy changes, such as requiring agents not to wear masks and to use judicial warrants for entering private property to make arrests. 

Republicans said enforcement policy changes were off the table because Democrats did not want to fund ICE. The GOP’s previous offer was to fund all of DHS except the $5.5 billion budget for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division that identifies, arrests, detains and deports unauthorized immigrants.

President Trump was cool to that plan, and it’s not clear whether he would support whatever is in the latest GOP offer. 

Mr. Thune deferred to the White House, and The Washington Times has reached out to the president’s team for comment. 

Mr. Trump spent Thursday morning suggesting on social media that Senate Republicans should nuke the filibuster to fund DHS without Democrats.

“When is ‘enough, enough’ for our Republican Senators,” Mr. Trump said. “There comes a time when you must do what should have been done a long time ago, and something which the Lunatic Democrats will do on day one, if they ever get the chance. TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and get our airports, and everything else, moving again. Also, add the complete, all five items, SAVE AMERICA ACT items. Go for the Gold!!!”

Mr. Thune said Mr. Trump called him on Thursday morning to deliver the same message. The senator did not characterize his response but has repeatedly said to similar appeals from the president that there is not enough support among Senate Republicans to scrap the filibuster.