Senate Republicans believe that President Donald Trump is willing to potentially accept a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a White House meeting on Monday night. It would be a significant shift for President Trump, who over the weekend repeatedly said he would not make a deal with Democrats unless they moved separate voting legislation known as the SAVE America Act. But the President signaled he is open to a deal to reopen the Homeland Security Department even if it doesn’t fully fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a two-hour meeting at the White House Monday evening and is willing to separate funding for the Enforcement and Removal Operation from the Homeland Security appropriations bill in order to get enough Democratic support for it. Under the proposal presented to President Trump, Senate Republicans would pass additional money for ICE’s removal operations under the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to circumvent a Democratic filibuster in the Senate as long as the legislation being considered meets certain requirements related to the spending, taxation or deficit reduction. Senate Republicans told Trump that they would also attempt to pass elements of the SAVE America Act, which Trump has called his No. 1 legislative priority, in the follow-up reconciliation bill.
For today, following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the House Message with respect to S.1383, the legislative vehicle for the SAVE Act.
The Senate is also expected to take up Confirmation of Executive Calendar #697 Colin McDonald, of California, to be an Assistant Attorney General and the Motion to discharge S.J.Res.116, Iran War Powers, from the Foreign Relations Committee.
At 6:30 P.M. the House will take up fifteen bills Under Suspension of the Rules, including H.R. 4624 – Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act.
