By Tim Hanrahan

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who sometimes breaks from his party, stood by fellow Democrats Monday and said he backed their drive to strip out the $64 billion measure for the Department of Homeland Security from a broader government "minibus" funding package.

That package needs to be passed by this weekend to keep most of the government open, but Democrats want the DHS portion removed and revised, in order to add more rules on oversight and restrictions on immigration enforcement. Some have also called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or be fired.

In a statement, Fetterman said he opposed any efforts to defund immigration enforcement, but that he "strongly disagreed" with many of the strategies and practices in Minneapolis. Federal agents actions have caused what he called a "dangerous urban theater for civilians and law enforcement."

He said he didn't want the government to shut down, but acknowledged Democrats' stance to strip out the DHS provision put federal agencies on course for a funding lapse in coming days. Given Senate Republicans' opposition to adjusting the bill to remove the DHS provisions-and the need for the House to approve any changes-it "is unlikely that will happen and the country will suffer another shutdown," he said.

Fetterman, who opposed the Democrats' shutdown strategy last fall, said he remained committed to being a "voice of reason" in the GOP-run Senate.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 26, 2026 15:01 ET (20:01 GMT)

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