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Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., claimed he offered Republicans a chance to spare the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the ongoing government shutdown that’s poised to hit the one-month mark on Saturday after another failed DHS vote on Thursday.
Republicans believe the offer was little more than political theater that ignored the core of the funding gridlock as concerns about Iranian sleeper cell threats and airport chaos rise.
“I just offered a UC to fund FEMA and Republicans shot it down,” Schiff said, referring to the Senate process to pass legislation on the spot, known as “unanimous consent.”
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., a lawmaker who has blocked UCs on the shutdown in the past, blasted Democrats for, in her view, trying to punt the negotiations on larger DHS disagreements.
SENATE TO TAKE TEST VOTE TO END 27-DAY DHS SHUTDOWN
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington D.C., Sunday, October 5, 2025. (Shannon Finney/NBC) via Getty Images)
“We would like that opportunity to continue funding the Department of Homeland Security in its entirety. Look, the people who sent us here expect more,” Britt said in remarks on the Senate floor.
“They expect us to have tough conversations. They expect us to figure out a pathway forward. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do today.”
A fired-up Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., accused Senate Democrats of trying to rip the agency apart at a moment it was designed for, as the war in Iran has spurred threats of retaliation in the U.S. by sleeper cells.
“And that’s at a time when our homeland is under attack, all warning lights are flashing red, and they want to peel apart, piece by piece, the Department of Homeland Security, the comprehensive department of our government to protect the American people, because they want to stand with illegal immigrant criminals,” Barrasso said.
Schumer declared that Senate Democrats would continue to provide piecemeal funding bills to reopen certain portions of the agency, like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), while negotiations continued.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed on February 14 over gridlock of a set of demands Democrats made regarding operational reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — reforms Republicans believe will handcuff President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
FEMA was slated to receive $32 billion in 2026, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Among other items, Democrats have demanded a no-mask policy, an end to roaming patrols, stiffer warrant requirements for detentions and clearly visible identification for ICE agents.
DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS INTO WEEK TWO AS IRAN THREAT, SOTU CLASH COMPLICATE HILL TALKS
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Digital on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2026, that, “In a dangerous attempt to evade arrest,” a “criminal illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement” in Compton, Calif. Criminal illegal alien allegedly rammed law enforcement in California operation. (KTTV)
Although talks are ongoing, lawmakers have said critical disagreements remain.
Like ICE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operates under DHS alongside other agencies like the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced concern that the unrelated reforms to ICE that Democrats have demanded are threatening the country’s readiness to respond to natural disasters.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., hinted that Democrats would like to eliminate that possibility.
“We just asked for a UC to get it done… so,” Cantwell said on the DHS funding dispute.
TSA WORKERS BRACE FOR MISSED PAYCHECKS AS DEMOCRATS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is seen as FEMA is making preparations for a winter storm set to impact much of the U.S. in early 2026. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)
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According to Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Katie Britt, R-Ala., DHS employees missed their first full paycheck this week. Additionally, FEMA reserve funding has dropped to $4 billion, the primary account used to coordinate disaster response and recovery efforts.
Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
