Washington, D.C., February 12. The U.S. Senate today rejected a funding initiative for the Department of Homeland Security, raising the possibility of a partial government shutdown, as funding is set to expire this Friday. The procedural vote was 52 against 47, a tally that did not reach the 60 votes needed to pass the measure. The legislative deadlock occurred as the White House and congressional Democrats failed to reach an agreement on immigration control rules, following the fatal shooting of two individuals by federal law enforcement agents (ICE) in Minneapolis. "Democrats were very clear: We will not support extending the status quo," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday. The recent deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis have led Democrats to seek changes in how immigration agencies operate. Meanwhile, Congress recently passed a funding package for multiple U.S. federal agencies for the rest of the fiscal year, but only the Department of Homeland Security received a two-week continuing resolution.
