There may be a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is still far into the distance, Rep. Brad Knott (R-North Carolina) said on "Washington Watch" Monday.
Both sides have dug in their heels, and momentum continues for a House budget reconciliation package that would allow Republicans to fund DHS without any Democrat support – provided Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) can gather near-unanimous support from the slim GOP majority.
"We've maintained roughly the same posture and that posture, unfortunately, has been that the Democrats want to stop all immigration enforcement. That's what this boils down to, truly," Knott told show host Tony Perkins.
There's been no official statement from Democratic leadership calling for an end to immigration enforcement, but their list of demands leaves federal authorities little room to govern.
A comprehensive list of those demands compiled through internet searches includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Procedural and operational reforms: Judicial warrants for home entries; ban on masks worn by officers; all officers must wear body camera; modify, codify and enforce standards for officers' use of force.
Civil rights measures: Prohibit questioning based on race, ethnicity, language, job or presence at certain locations; require confirmation that an individual is not a U.S. citizen before placing them in immigration detention.
Accountability and oversight: Allow the right for state and local authorities to investigate potential crimes by federal agents; require evidence sharing; require consent from state and local authorities before beginning large-scale federal operations; allow states to sue DHS for violations of reform requirements.
Democrats say their demands mirror those followed by every state and local law enforcement department.
"The Senate has said, 'We want to hollow out the ICE funding and the Border Patrol funding. Otherwise, we're not going to play ball here.' So, they have they have essentially held the entire department hostage in an effort to halt immigration enforcement," Knott said.
Budget reconciliation is easier said than done, some House Republicans say.
Key challenges include narrow Republican majorities in both chambers, internal GOP divisions over fiscal responsibility and the complexity of offsetting large expenditures.
Johnson can afford to lose only one Republican vote, and fiscal hawks like Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee) have expressed concerns about funding the package—especially with added costs from military operations in Iran—without sufficient spending cuts.
The process would allow the Senate to pass DHS funding with 51 votes—bypassing the filibuster—provided it's presented as part of a budget reconciliation package.
"When you start splitting things off, it's going to give the Democrats more leverage in the future, and I guarantee you they will hang that around the necks of the American people," Rep. Mark Alford (R-Missouri) has warned.
Nervous Republicans may need to prepare themselves.
Recent data shows 45% of voters identify as independent, but as the parties play to their bases, each draws support from 27% of U.S. adults.
Onerous reconciliation packages may become the norm for parties in control of the House.
"I am very concerned this could become the norm," Knott said. "Again, there has been no final conclusion as to how we're going to bridge this divide. My hope is that we can maintain the appropriate decorum and get a full appropriation passed in short order. We'll see if that happens."
