Midnight Schumer Shutdown Looms After Senate Fails to Pass DHS Funding Deal [WATCH]

A partial federal government shutdown is set to begin at midnight after Senate lawmakers failed to reach an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security, marking the third shutdown under President Donald Trump in less than six months, as reported by Fox News.

With Congress members dispersed across the country and several senators traveling abroad, there is no immediate path to avert the shutdown.

The impasse centers on DHS funding, and efforts to either pass a full-year funding bill or approve a short-term, two-week extension both fell short in the Senate on Thursday.

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Senate Republicans were unable to overcome a unified front led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats, who blocked the proposals.

The breakdown effectively ended the last opportunity to keep DHS funded before the midnight deadline.

“The idea of not even allowing us to have an extended amount of time to negotiate this suggests to me, at least, that there isn’t a high level of interest in actually solving this issue,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said.

The final floor debate Thursday narrowed to an exchange between Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., over whether lawmakers should approve a temporary extension to allow more time for negotiations.

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Democrats argued that Republicans and the White House introduced their legislative language too late to allow for meaningful compromise.

“We had plenty of time to get a deal in the last two weeks,” Murphy said. “And the lack of seriousness from the White House and from Republicans not getting language until last night has put us in the position we are in today.”

Despite the shutdown, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are not expected to see funding interruptions due to prior allocations made through President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Instead, agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Coast Guard are likely to bear the impact.

“There is no way that you can’t say we’re working in good faith. We want to continue this conversation,” Britt said on the Senate floor.

“But yet you’re penalizing a TSA agent. A TSA agent is going to go without a paycheck. Why? So that you can posture politically? I’m over it.”

“Everybody on that side of the aisle knows that ICE and CBP will continue to be funded,” she continued. “They’re going to continue to enforce the law just as they should. Who’s going to pay the price?”

As negotiations stalled, both sides accused the other of running out the clock. Republicans said Democrats delayed by presenting demands late in the process.

Democrats countered that the White House did not provide sufficient time for review and negotiation.

When asked about the broader effects of the shutdown, Schumer shifted responsibility to Republicans and the administration.

“Talk to the Republicans, OK? We’re ready to fund everything,” Schumer said.

“We’re ready to have good, serious proposals supported by the American people. They’re not; they’re sort of dug in the ground, and they’re not moving forward.”

Neither side has publicly detailed the specific sticking points in the negotiations. However, Senate Democrats are reportedly considering a counteroffer to the White House, indicating that discussions may continue in the coming days.

“Negotiations will continue, and we will see in the course of the next few days how serious they are,” Thune said.

Unless an agreement is reached quickly, federal employees at affected agencies will face furloughs or work without pay as the shutdown begins.

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