Senate Floor Fight Reveals How Far Apart Democrats and Republicans Are on DHS Shutdown

For two days this week, senators took turns proposing ways to end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. For two days, each proposal was immediately killed by the other party. The March 11–12 floor fight made one thing clear: Democrats and Republicans are not close to a deal, and the nearly monthlong shutdown shows no signs of ending soon. The Senate adjourned on March 12 and is not scheduled to return until March 16. The dispute centers on a single question—whether Congress should keep funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without first requiring changes to how those agencies operate. Democrats say no. Republicans say the agencies cannot be separated from the rest of DHS....