Jeffries, Democrats push to fund TSA, FEMA amid fight with GOP, Trump over ICE, CBP

House Democrats on Wednesday formally launched their bid to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), amid the impasse over immigration enforcement.

Behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Democrats unveiled a discharge petition designed to force a vote on legislation to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and other DHS sub-agencies — but not U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection, which are at the center of the fight over President Trump’s deportation tactics.

“It’s time to pay TSA, rein in ICE, end this reckless Trump-Republican shutdown, and sign the discharge petition,” Jeffries told reporters on the steps of the Capitol. 

The effort is a long shot. 

The Democrats hold 214 seats in the House, meaning they’ll need to find four Republicans willing to sign the discharge petition to force the bill to the floor. Some moderate Republicans have been willing to take that step on several different issues this cycle — including........

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