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Category: Politics
January 30, 2026
Politics

Senate Finally Set to Advance Trump-Backed Funding Package, Too Late to Avert Temporary Shutdown.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement to advance the government appropriations package, despite resistance from both sides of the aisle.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), President Donald J. Trump, and members of Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deal was struck on Friday, with a final Senate vote expected late Friday evening, as the government funding deadline looms at midnight.

🎯IMPACT: The agreement virtually ensures passage in the Senate but does not prevent a partial government shutdown over the weekend since it will take several days for the House to return to Washington, D.C.

IN FULL

The Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle late Friday afternoon, advancing a government appropriations package despite resistance from both sides of the partisan aisle. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has scheduled a final vote on the appropriations deal, initially struck late Thursday, for Friday evening after Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dropped his hold on the combined government funding bills.

Called a minibus, the legislative package includes appropriations for five federal government departments but excludes funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a key demand of Senate Democrats seeking to defund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Instead, the chamber will vote on a two-week continuing resolution (CR) for DHS, setting up another funding fight in February.

President Donald J. Trump engaged in direct negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Republicans to reach the deal, which will avoid a prolonged government shutdown. Still, even with the Senate likely adopting the minibus and CR for DHS later Friday evening, the federal government will experience a brief funding lapse over the weekend as it will take several days for members of the House of Representatives to return to Washington, D.C. and approve the package.

The National Pulse reported earlier on Friday that an attempt to pass the funding deal fell apart late Thursday evening after Sen. Graham objected to procedural motions that would have expedited its passage. Graham expressed his dissatisfaction with the deal, stating, “This is a bad deal,” as he entered Thune’s office late Thursday evening. However, by Friday afternoon, the South Carolina Republican had dropped his opposition.

Image by Ron Cogswell.

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January 30, 2026
News
Politics

Senate Funding Deal Collapses, Saturday Shutdown Looms.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. government is heading toward a partial shutdown after a Senate vote on a funding deal stalled.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), President Donald J. Trump, and members of Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: January 29 and 30, 2026, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a bad deal.” – Sen. Lindsey Graham

🎯IMPACT: A partial shutdown of federal operations is expected to begin at 12:01 AM. ET Saturday without a funding deal.

IN FULL

The U.S. government is on the verge of a partial shutdown after the Senate’s planned vote on a funding deal stalled late Thursday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and other Republican leaders had aimed to push the deal forward, but it faced opposition within their own ranks over what Republican senators characterize as leadership caving to Democrats on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) confirmed he placed a hold on the funding package, effectively blocking it from quick consideration. Graham expressed his dissatisfaction with the deal, stating, “This is a bad deal,” as he entered Thune’s office late Thursday evening.

Late Thursday, just before the Senate attempted to move the Democrat-backed funding deal, President Donald J. Trump pushed for lawmakers to vote for the appropriations package. “America is setting Records in every way, and our Growth Numbers are among the best ever. The only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, continuing, “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before). Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”

It is believed that Sen. Graham‘s hold specifically stems from a provision passed by the House that removed legislative language allowing senators to sue for up to $500,000 if their phone records were obtained by former special counsel Jack Smith during the former Biden government’s Arctic Frost scandal.

Without a funding agreement, a partial shutdown of federal operations is set to begin at 12:01 AM ET on Saturday. Even if the Senate reaches an agreement on Friday, the House of Representatives is not scheduled to return until Monday, though Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has indicated he may be able to bring the House into session late Sunday if necessary.

A number of conservative members of the Senate have expressed opposition to the DHS funding deal, arguing it surrenders leverage and will likely result in a number of Democrat policy victories that could effectively gut U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—including a requirement for agents to obtain a judicial warrant rather than an administrative warrant in order to arrest migrants with outstanding removal orders.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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January 27, 2026
William Upton
Politics

Court Delivers MAJOR Blow to Democrat Gerrymander Efforts.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Virginia state appeals court has issued an injunction blocking the implementation of legislation adopted by Democrats in the state general assembly that would put a partisan gerrymandered congressional map on the state ballot as a referendum in late April.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Virginia Court of Appeals, the Virginia Supreme Court, Virginia Democrat lawmakers, voters, and Virginia Republicans.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The appellate ruling and injunction were handed down on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Therefore, any attempt to repeal Section 30-13 which does not comply with this Constitutional mandate, is NULL and VOID.” — Virginia Court of Appeals

🎯IMPACT: The ruling, while still subject to reversal by the state’s Supreme Court, is a significant blow to Virginia Democrats who have sought to implement a very Democrat-friendly congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

IN FULL

A Virginia state appeals court has issued an injunction blocking the implementation of legislation adopted by Democrats in the state general assembly that would put a partisan gerrymandered congressional map on the state ballot as a referendum in late April. The ruling will likely be appealed by Democrat lawmakers and set a final decision before Virginia’s Supreme Court.

The appellate court found that by adopting the legislation just four days before the state’s general election last November, lawmakers violated notice requirements under the state’s constitution. “The General Assembly has attempted or is attempting to repeal Section 30-13, which is fully within their power to do. However, under Article IV, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia, ‘All laws enacted at a regular session… shall take effect on the first day of July following the adjournment of the session of the General Assembly at which it has been enacted … unless in the case of an emergency (which emergency shall be expressed in the body of the bill) the General Assembly shall specify an earlier date by a vote of four-fifths of the members voting in each house…'” the judges stated.

They continued, “Therefore, any attempt to repeal Section 30-13 which does not comply with this Constitutional mandate, is NULL and VOID.” The ruling, while still subject to reversal by the state’s Supreme Court, is a significant blow to Virginia Democrats who have sought to implement a very Democrat-friendly congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. A number of legal observers have noted it is unlikely that the Virginia Supreme Court will reverse the appellate decision.

The National Pulse reported in December last year that Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D) was considering a plan to redraw the state’s Congressional maps in a way that could give Democrats a significant advantage, potentially shifting the current 6-5 delegation in favor of Republicans to a 10-1 Democratic majority. However, the latest ruling would prevent the implementation of any new maps until 2027, after the 2026 midterms.

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January 27, 2026
Lawfare
Politics

Appeals Court Overturns Biden Judge’s Ban on ICE Pepper Spraying, Arresting Agitators.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit lifted an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Katherin Menendez, which had restricted federal agents’ actions during Minneapolis protests.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump Administration, U.S. District Court Judge Katherin Menendez, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was issued by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals following a January 16 ruling by Judge Menendez in Minneapolis.

💬KEY QUOTE: “To the extent the injunction’s breadth and vagueness cause federal agents to hesitate in performing their lawful duties, it threatens to irreparably harm the government and undermine the public interest.” – Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

🎯IMPACT: The ruling allows federal agents to resume their duties without the restrictions imposed by the injunction, which the court found to be overly broad and vague.

IN FULL

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has overturned an injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Katherin Menendez blocking federal law enforcement from pepper spraying, detaining, arresting, or otherwise engaging with protestors in Minneapolis, Minnesota, without probable cause. Judge Menendez, a Joe Biden appointee, had ruled in favor of protesters suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming violations of their First and Fourth Amendment rights.

The Eighth Circuit decision emphasizes that Judge Menendez’s decision failed to consider the varied nature of the conduct and circumstances involved. The court stated, “We accessed and viewed the same videos the district court did. What they show is observers and protestors engaging in a wide range of conduct, some of it peaceful but much of it not. They also show federal agents responding in various ways.” The court further noted that the differences in conduct made it impossible to address all claims in “one stroke.”

Additionally, the panel criticized the injunction for being too vague, stating that it left federal agents in a precarious position of having to predict what might be considered “peaceful and unobstructive protest activity.” The court emphasized that the videos demonstrated a rapidly changing environment where peaceful and obstructive actions often overlapped, making it difficult for law enforcement to act decisively.

The court also warned that the injunction’s vagueness and breadth could lead federal agents to hesitate to perform their lawful duties, potentially harming the government and undermining the public interest. The ruling stated, “To the extent the injunction’s breadth and vagueness cause federal agents to hesitate in performing their lawful duties, it threatens to irreparably harm the government and undermine the public interest.”

Judge Menendez is also presiding over another case involving a broader motion to enjoin ICE operations, a filing by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison that has been criticized as constitutionally unfounded.

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January 27, 2026
William Upton
Immigration
Politics

Biden—Illegal Migration’s Favorite President Ever—Sends Moralizing Message Over Good, Pretti Deaths.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former President Joe Biden, 83, finally weighed in on the ongoing immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, issuing a meandering and moralizing statement addressing the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Former President Joe Biden, President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), illegal immigrants, and anti-ICE activists Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Biden’s statement was posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out. We know who we are. It’s time to show the world. More importantly, it’s time to show ourselves.” — Joe Biden

🎯IMPACT: The surge in immigration enforcement operations under President Trump is a direct result of the open borders policies under Biden, which saw millions—potentially tens of millions—of illegal immigrants enter the United States over four years.

IN FULL

Former President Joe Biden, 83, finally weighed in on the ongoing immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, issuing a meandering and moralizing statement addressing the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Notably, the surge in immigration enforcement operations under President Donald J. Trump is a direct result of the open borders policies under Biden, which saw millions—potentially tens of millions—of illegal immigrants enter the United States over four years.

“What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans. We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street,” Biden wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The octogenarian former president continued, “We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized.”

“No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out. We know who we are. It’s time to show the world. More importantly, it’s time to show ourselves,” Biden stated, adding: “Jill and I are sending strength to the families and communities who love Alex Pretti and Renee Good as we all mourn their senseless deaths.”

Notably, one of the first actions of President Trump was to end the legal protections granted by the Biden government for illegal immigrants who utilized the CBP One app—with Trump later repurposing the app to facilitate self-deportation. It is estimated that over 900,000 illegal immigrants utilized the CBP One app under the former Biden government to enter the United States since it launched in January 2023.

The National Pulse reported in April 2024 that illegal immigration under Biden had—at that point—approached 9.4 million, close to the volume of all legal immigration processed at Ellis Island. The federal processing facility operated from 1892, when former Civil War colonel Benjamin Harrison was President, to 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower’s government closed it down, during which time around 12 million legal immigrants passed through it.

Several surges in illegal border crossings and the Biden government’s parole policies likely resulted in millions more illegals entering the United States before Trump’s inauguration in January 2025. This means the total number of illegal immigrants that entered the United States under Biden likely ranges from 10 to 20 million.

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January 26, 2026
Politics

Elderly Democrat Congressional Delegate Tricked by Scammers Won’t Run for Re-Election.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Washington, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) announced she will not seek re-election in 2026, ending a 35-year tenure in Congress.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Donna Brazile, and former staffer Trent Holbrook.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced via a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I want to congratulate Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on a remarkable career… Her work embodies the unwavering resolve of a city that refuses to yield in its fight for equal representation,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

🎯IMPACT: Norton’s decision opens the door for new candidates, including former staffer Trent Holbrook, to vie for the D.C. delegate seat.

IN FULL

Eleanor Holmes Norton, the oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives will not seek another term in the 2026 election. Norton, the 88-year-old non-voting delegate from Washington, D.C.,, filed a termination report with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Sunday, signaling the end of her 35-year tenure.

The National Pulse reported last October that Norton, who is believed to be suffering from a diminished cognitive state, fell victim to a scam at her D.C. home, losing thousands of dollars. Posing as HVAC workers, a group of people entered her apartment, charged her nearly $4,400 using her credit card, and left without performing any work. The fraud was discovered when Norton’s house manager, Jacqueline Pelt, reviewed security footage and called the police.

Following Norton’s decision not to run for re-election, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser paid tribute to the long-term Democrat lawmaker in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “I want to congratulate Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on a remarkable career. For 35 years, Congresswoman Norton has been our Warrior on the Hill—from securing shutdown protection for the city and the creation of DCTAG, to defeating continued attacks on Home Rule and leading historic votes in the House for DC Statehood.” Bowser herself announced in November last year that she would not seek a fourth term as mayor.

Notably, a number of top Democrat officials have pushed for Norton to retire, especially following the October scamming incident. Late last year, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) acting chair and political strategist Donna Brazile called on the 88-year-old D.C. Delegate to Congress to retire. Writing in the Washington Post, Brazile stated, “It’s in her best interest, and the interest of D.C., for her to serve her current term but then end her extraordinary service in Congress and not seek reelection next year.”

Norton, who first assumed office in 1991, has held the delegate seat for over three decades. Several people, including former Norton staffer Trent Holbrook, have announced their candidacies for the position before her retirement. Holbrook remarked, “I think it’s evident that she’s not going to successfully run. Congresswoman Norton is one of the most successful lawmakers in American history.”

The D.C. delegate’s role does not include voting on legislation like regular House representatives but does allow for the introduction of legislation and participation in committees.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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January 26, 2026
News
Politics

‘F*ck You, Ted!’ – Secret Recordings Reveal Trump Unloading on Cruz Over Impeachment.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Recordings reveal Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) criticizing Vice President J.D. Vance as a creature of former Fox Host Tucker Carlson, as well as pushing back on President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policies.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Tucker Carlson.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Recordings from early to mid-2025, provided by a Republican source.

💬KEY QUOTE: “F**k you, Ted.” – President Donald J. Trump.

🎯IMPACT: The recordings highlight Cruz’s potential positioning for a 2028 primary campaign, as well as general dynamics within the GOP heading into the mid-term elections.

IN FULL

Secret recordings have revealed Senator Ted Cruz telling donors about his conversations with President Donald J. Trump on subjects ranging from tariffs to the mid-term elections to fresh impeachment proceedings, Axios has reported.

The tapes, almost 10 minutes long in total, feature Cruz casting aspersions on Vice President J.D. Vance, with Axios describing it as calling the VP “a pawn of conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson.”

“Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker’s protégé, and they are one and the same,” Cruz says.

Describing a phone call between President Trump and himself, Cruz detailed how the President was “yelling” and “cursing” at Cruz and other GOP lawmakers.

“Trump was in a bad mood,” Cruz said. “I’ve been in conversations where he was very happy. This was not one of them.”

The Texas Senator says he told Trump: “Mr. President, if we get to November of [2026] and people’s 401(k)s are down 30 percent and prices are up 10–20 percent at the supermarket, we’re going to go into Election Day, face a bloodbath… You’re going to lose the House, you’re going to lose the Senate, you’re going to spend the next two years being impeached every single week.”

Trump’s response, according to Cruz on the tapes, was simply: “F**k you, Ted.”

Cruz also told donors that he had banned his staff from using Trumpian trade rhetoric, especially the phrase “Liberation Day.”

“I’ve told my team if anyone uses those words, they will be terminated on the spot.”

The recordings are believed to have been made in early and mid 2025, with the President’s conversation with Cruz dating back to April 2025.

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January 23, 2026
Politics

Kash Patel Is Kicking Out FBI Agents Linked to Anti-Trump Lawfare.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel has reportedly removed senior figures at the bureau connected to lawfare investigations into President Donald J. Trump.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senior FBI leaders in Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, and Miami, along with FBI Director Kash Patel and former special counsel Jack Smith.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Reported on Friday, with actions spanning multiple field offices, including Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, and Miami.

🎯IMPACT: The precise number of departures remains unclear, and some dismissed agents have already filed lawsuits.

IN FULL

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel has ordered the removal of a number of senior figures at the bureau who were either involved in or helped spearhead politically motivated actions against President Donald J. Trump. It is believed that senior field office leaders in Atlanta and New Orleans, as well as the acting assistant director overseeing the New York field office, were among those removed. Several of the agents have already filed lawsuits to attempt to prevent their removal.

Additionally, as many as six agents in Miami, Florida, were reportedly forced out due to their involvement in the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago, which included authorization to use deadly force. Other agents removed were tied to the Biden-era Arctic Frost scandal, a corrupt investigation overseen by former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault and, subsequently, by special counsel Jack Smith.

News of the firings follows Jack Smith testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill. He was pressed on several instances of overreach, including the subpoenaing of phone toll records pertaining to then House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was bizarrely considered a flight risk.

On Thursday, Smith admitted that he expects to be indicted for his role in Arctic Frost, and was unable to explain why his investigative team considered McCarthy—who was the newly elected House Speaker—to be a possible risk for fleeing the country.

While Democrats have routinely called Smith the “Gold Standard” of federal prosecutors, Representative Tom Tiffany (R-WI) noted that the former special counsel’s most high-profile cases against American political figures have either been thrown out by the Supreme Court, ended in mistrials, or, in the case of President Trump, dismissed.

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January 22, 2026
Christopher Tomlinson
Media
Politics

Trump FCC Clamps Down on Late-Night and Daytime TV Bias.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) head Brendan Carr has demanded that late-night and daytime TV hosts give equal time to political candidates after accusations of anti-Republican and anti-Trump bias.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: FCC Chair Brendan Carr, Jimmy Kimmel, Steven Colbert, Donald J. Trump, late-night and daytime TV hosts.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Carr announced the move on X on Wednesday, January 21.

💬KEY QUOTE: “For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes.” – Brendan Carr.

🎯IMPACT: Broadcasters could now face penalties for not giving equal airtime to all sides of political debates.

IN FULL

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chief Brendan Carr issued new regulatory guidance on January 21, warning broadcasters that late-night and daytime talk shows must comply with federal equal time rules when featuring political candidates in a move to combat the clear leftist bias among many TV hosts. The guidance directs broadcast stations to ensure that political candidates are given equal opportunities on programs such as morning shows and late-night comedy, pushing back on what Carr described as a long-standing assumption that such shows automatically qualify as “bona fide news” programming.

Carr argued that this exemption has been stretched to cover content driven by partisan intent. “For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes,” Carr wrote in a post on X. “Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”

Carr has previously cited ABC’s daytime program The View as an example of a show that could face scrutiny, and his comments follow earlier criticism of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On the eve of the 2024 election, Carr also accused Saturday Night Live of skirting equal time requirements when it featured then-Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, leading NBC to provide President Donald J. Trump airtime during NASCAR and NFL broadcasts.

Conservative attorney Daniel Suhr, who heads the Center for American Rights and has supported Carr’s agenda, praised the move and said it could apply broadly to late-night television. “Daytime TV like [The View] and late night shows like [Jimmy Kimmel Live!] & [The Late Show With Stephen Colbert] have consistently featured only Democratic candidates while shutting out Republicans,” Suhr wrote on X. “This [FCC] notice is an important step toward accountability for these legacy network shows.”

The guidance arrives amid heightened controversy surrounding late-night hosts. In recent years, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have repeatedly clashed with Trump, with Colbert once telling the President to “go f**k yourself.” Kimmel has also faced mounting scrutiny, including a temporary suspension by ABC following backlash over comments about the murder of Charlie Kirk, implying conservatives were responsible for it.

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January 21, 2026
Immigration
Politics

Dem Leaders Move to Block Funding for ICE, DHS.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) announced a decision to vote against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Rep. Enrique “Henry” Cuellar (D-TX), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was made on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in a closed-door meeting of House Democrats.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I signed off. Let’s go. Let’s move. And people will decide what they want to.” – Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

🎯IMPACT: The bill is expected to pass despite some Democratic opposition, with a group of moderate lawmakers expected to support it.

IN FULL

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) informed Democrats in a private meeting that they intend to vote against a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The move is largely seen as an attempt by Democrat leaders to placate a large bloc of their more progressive caucus members who are demanding the agency be defunded over ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting illegal immigrants across the country.

Despite their stated opposition, the Democratic leaders are not expected to actively whip against the bill. While a bulk of Democrats are anticipated to oppose the appropriations measure, it is expected that a small group of moderate Democrats will still support it. More radical progressive House Democrats have demanded the party oppose the DHS funding bill, ramping up their calls for resistance after anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot while attempting to run over an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

Rep. Enrique “Henry” Cuellar (D-TX), a key minority member on the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, has called for his colleagues to support the bill, highlighting several Democrat victories within it. These include $20 million allocated for body cameras for ICE personnel, although the overall ICE budget remains unchanged.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who helped negotiate the broader spending package, emphasized the urgency of passing the bill to prevent a government shutdown. While acknowledging the bill’s limitations in securing the progressive Democrat demands for substantial ICE reforms, she noted its benefits for other agencies like TSA and FEMA.

DeLauro explained the need to move forward despite the bill’s imperfections, saying, “I signed off. Let’s go. Let’s move. And people will decide what they want to.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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