Today in the Capitol, bipartisan lawmakers pushed forward in negotiations, aiming to finalize an agreement between both parties to restore operations at the Department of Homeland Security.
This morning, Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) met with Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Don Davis (D-N.C.), and Adam Gray (D-Calif.) to discuss strategies for ending the shutdown.
“I think we’re all committed to opening the department, so I think we need to do whatever it takes to get there,” she stated, adding, “There are deals on the table, so we look forward to hopefully finding a way to move forward.”
Rep. Gottheimer emphasized, “we’ve got to work 24/7 in both sides, working together from the House and the Senate to get this across the finish line” and insisted, “we shouldn’t stop until we get there.”
Some lawmakers also expressed disapproval of GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham’s proposal for a reconciliation bill—which would only require a simple majority vote, not 60 votes—to cover DHS, military funding, and measures aimed at “improving voter integrity.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) remarked that passing legislation with such a wide array of provisions would be “very, very difficult.” He instead advocated for a “very narrow” reconciliation bill focused solely on budgeting for DHS and ensuring “TSA paid.”
With the Senate anticipated to depart for recess by the end of the week, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) commented, “I can’t imagine that we would leave without getting TSA reopened and some of these other agencies.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) concurred, asserting that senators should, “stay in town to make sure the Republicans agree to pay TSA. It’s a really simple solution.”