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As the clock ticks on a crucial funding package, numerous House Democrats appear poised to cast their votes in favor of the legislation later today. This comes despite a recent commitment from Democratic leaders to refrain from assisting Republicans in expediting the bill’s progression.
In the lead-up to this decision, House Democrats made it clear to Republican leaders that they would not contribute the necessary votes to pass the funding package under the suspension of the rules. This procedural tactic, which would have accelerated the legislation’s passage, demands the backing of approximately 70 Democrats. As a result, GOP leader Johnson had to navigate the bill through the Rules Committee and must rally his party to secure a partisan vote to advance the measure this morning.
With a narrow 218 to 214 majority, Johnson’s margin for error is razor-thin, allowing room for only a single defection. A shift of just two votes would lead to a deadlock at 216-216, causing the rule to fail.
On Monday, Jeffries emphasized the onus on Republicans, stating, “Republicans have a responsibility to move the rule,” and he expressed skepticism about Democrats providing the necessary votes to assist their counterparts across the aisle.
Nevertheless, there remains a possibility that several Democrats may choose to back the measure when it comes to the final vote.
Though the measure was negotiated between Senate Democrats and the White House, Democrats secured the two-week extension of DHS funds that they had sought, giving them time to negotiate reforms to the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement. The short timeline means lawmakers will have to move swiftly, but Republicans and Democrats have expressed optimism about reaching a compromise.
In a sign that the package could pick up support among Democrats, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Monday that she plans to support it.
Jeffries said there are a “diversity of perspectives” among the Democratic caucus, while noting that outside of the temporary funds for DHS, there’s “strong” Democratic support for the five bipartisan funding bills that comprise the package.