It appears likely the Department of Homeland Security will not run out of funds Friday.
Senate Democrats said they will clear a House measure to fund the agency for three weeks.
The House advanced the legislation Friday morning with majority Republican support, signaling that the bill is on track to pass later in the day. The Senate will then take up the measure.
Homeland Security funding is set to expire at the end of the day Friday unless Congress clears a bill.
And it now appears it will do that.
“We want full funding,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters. “Obviously we are not going to shut down the government, and if that is the only choice we are given as it looks like right now, we’ll support it.”
Democrats want the legislation to last until Sept. 30, but House Republicans have crafted the short-term deal to buy more time for them to negotiate a long-term plan that curbs President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
Democrats said a short-term bill prohibits essential grants to the Department of Homeland Security. They also argued that a short-term bill simply extends the fight over funding until next month.
UPDATE: The House has recessed as Republican leaders assess whether they can pass a short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security with only GOP support. Democrats said they will vote against the bill, putting Republicans in a tough position because many of their conservatives don’t want to fund the department any further without language to curb Obama’s immigration executive actions.
Republicans advanced the bill earlier Friday, suggesting they will have the support for final passage. GOP leadership aides are not commenting on the floor holdup.
This story was first published at 12:41 p.m. and has been updated.
