Senate Democrats blocked a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for a second time Tuesday, underscoring a shutdown stalemate now in its second week.
Senators voted 50-45 to advance a House-passed DHS bill in their first action on funding for the department since a partial government shutdown started Feb. 14. The bill needed 60 votes to move forward.
President Donald Trump used part of his State of the Union speech Tuesday evening to encourage Democrats to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. But with lawmakers just returning to Washington from a weeklong recess, the talks appear to have almost entirely stalled.
“We’ve heard crickets from them, nothing,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Tuesday. “They’re not negotiating. They’re just trying to pass paper back and forth with no real changes.”
