President Donald Trump is urging Congress to reopen the Department of Homeland Security as the funding lapse has continued for more than a month.
"They need to end the shutdown immediately, or we'll have to take some very drastic measures," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting Thursday.
Trump did not specify what actions he was referring to or outline conditions for reopening DHS.
The funding lapse has led to long lines for air travelers, as more than 500 Transportation Security Administration employees have left their jobs after going weeks without pay.
Pressure has increased on both parties to reach a deal before a scheduled Senate recess that begins March 30 and runs through April 10.
The lapse began Feb. 14 when the Senate did not advance House-passed legislation to fund DHS through September.
Since then, the Senate has repeatedly failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to move forward on a funding measure.
The dispute has centered on Democrats' demands for changes related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Those include policies involving officer identification, body cameras, training, and enforcement in sensitive locations.
Republicans, meanwhile, have pushed to fund most of DHS immediately and address disputed immigration provisions separately.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said there is no point in continuing negotiations on Democrats' latest proposal.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., defended his party's position as a "reasonable, good faith proposal that contains some of the very same asks Democrats have been talking about now for months."
As negotiations continue with limited progress, some Republicans have proposed a bill to fund only the TSA, which has drawn bipartisan support.
Thune rejected that approach.
"You have FEMA out there. You've got the Coast Guard.
"You have all these other important agencies," he said.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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