Senate Funding Vote, ICE Family Detention Protest, Fed Holds Interest Rates

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Senator Chuck Schumer 0:02
Senator Chuck Schumer threatens a partial government shutdown.

What are the implications of the Senate funding vote?

Senator Chuck Schumer 0:05
Senate Democrats are united. We need to rain in ice and end the violence.
Leila Faldin 0:10
They'll block Homeland Security funding until there are limits on immigration agents.
Steve Inskeep 0:14
I'm Steve Inskeep with Leila Fadal, and this is Up First from NPR News.

What happened during the ICE family detention protest?

Steve Inskeep 0:21
A protest outside an ICE family detention center in South Texas turned chaotic after police in riot gear appeared. Demonstrators demand the release of five-year-old Liam Ramos, who was detained with his father hundreds of miles away in Minnesota.
Leila Faldin 0:35
And despite pressure from President Trump, the Federal Reserve is holding interest rates steady.

Who is Liam Ramos and why is he significant?

Leila Faldin 0:40
as prices keep climbing and more people see layoffs.
Jerome Powell 0:44
The best thing we can do for people who are feeling that squeeze is to keep inflation under control.

How is the Federal Reserve handling interest rates amid economic pressures?

Leila Faldin 0:49
Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
Steve Inskeep 0:58
Senate Democrats say they're going to block a government funding package that includes money for the Department of Homeland Security until there are reforms to how immigration agents are working in this country. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke with reporters in the Capitol yesterday.

What reforms are Senate Democrats demanding regarding immigration enforcement?

Senator Chuck Schumer 1:15
Senate Democrats are united on a set of common sense and necessary policy goals that we need to rain in ice and end the violence.
Steve Inskeep 1:24
either lawmakers make some agreement or there will be another partial government shutdown at the end of the day on Friday.
Leila Faldin 1:30
NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisadas has been following this and joins us now. Good morning, Claudia.
Claudia Grisales 1:36
Good morning, Leila.
Leila Faldin 1:37
Okay, so this same package passed with significant bipartisan support last week in the House, but then we saw the killing of Alex Preddy over the weekend in Minneapolis by federal agents. So how did that change what we expect to happen in the Senate?
Claudia Grisales 1:50
Well, in some ways, it changed everything. The Senate is supposed to vote today to advance this $1.3 trillion package. It's a six-bill package, and one of those funds DHS, while the other five addresses other parts of the government. And yesterday, we heard Democrats detail this list of reforms they want to see input implemented before they support the DHS funding after federal immigration officers shot and killed Alex Preddy in Minneapolis over the weekend. So what are they asking for? They want to pass those five other spending bills in the package and leave DHS out while they renegotiate those terms. Schumer told reporters he also wants new rules set around warrants. He wants tightened cooperation with local law enforcement, create a new uniform code of conduct, as well as use of force rules.
Claudia Grisales 2:43
They want more accountability and transparency, including taking off the masks and putting body cameras on. But it's unclear if the Senate can reach a deal on this in time. Otherwise, we could see other parts of the government, in addition to DHS, like the Defense Department, Health and Human Services, lose funding starting this weekend.
Leila Faldin 3:02
And it takes months to negotiate these bipartisan funding packages. So is it even possible for them to pass those kinds of changes at this point?
Claudia Grisales 3:10
Well, it is a tall order. The Senate would need consent from all of its members to split up these bills, perhaps setting up a series of new votes, renegotiating a DHS bill in time to try and pass it. And how have Republicans responded? Well, Thune and other leaders maintain they can't split this package up. They know it would be a hard pass in the House. Here's Thune.

What factors are influencing the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates?

John Thune 3:31
I think it's really important, if possible, to do it here, not to have to send it back to the House of Representatives. where the future of an appropriations package, I think, would be somewhat uncertain.
Claudia Grisales 3:43
But we should note we heard some mixed signals last night. Some rank-and-file Republican senators said they're on board. I heard one say at least a bunch of his colleagues would agree to the move. So it's an indicator of how at least some Republicans see this as a high political stakes moment to respond to Pretty's death.
Leila Faldin 4:01
Are there any other ways they could come to a solution without the risk of this partial shutdown?

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