Critical talks underway to avoid government shutdown after Senate blocks massive funding bill

By Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett, Manu Raju, CNN

(CNN) — Eleventh-hour talks are continuing with the White House as Capitol Hill leaders scramble to avoid a costly partial government shutdown at the week’s end.

Democrats voted Thursday afternoon against advancing a six-bill funding package, as they seek concessions from Republicans and the White House on federal immigration enforcement in exchange for their support.

Hours later, negotiations were down to one final sticking point: How long to temporarily extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security to provide time to cut a longer-term deal to rein in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices, according to multiple senators in both parties.

The pace at which the talks have progressed underscores the White House’s desire to avoid another shutdown, as well as a tacit acknowledgement from Republicans of the political risks of inaction amid heightened public outcry over ICE’s harsh tactics.

“Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown,” President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. “I think we’re getting close. The Democrats, I don’t believe, want to see it either.”

Democrats, keen to seize on widespread discontent after the deadly shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis this month, are saying they won’t support a short-term funding extension for DHS that lasts more than two weeks. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is pushing for six.

“More people can get killed in two weeks,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told CNN.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, however, argued Congress will need at least two weeks procedurally to renegotiate, consider and pass a new DHS funding bill.

“It’s too short. We can’t do it in two weeks,” the Oklahoma Republican told reporters.

“By the time you go through the amendments, you go through cloture, you go through all that, it’s probably not enough. We asked for six – I mean, we may settle at three, we may settle at five, we may settle at six, I don’t know. But two, if that’s what they’re insisting — OK, maybe. But they got to be realistic on the time frame,” Mullin said.

Senators sink package in initial vote

Earlier in the day, seven conservatives joined all Democrats in blocking the broader funding package from moving forward. But Republican Majority Leader John Thune expressed confidence that lawmakers would back a final deal with “a good, strong vote on both sides.”

If a deal is reached and an updated package passed by the Senate, however, it would have to be approved by both chambers, meaning the narrowly divided House would have to return to Washington and final approval could be delayed until Monday.

As of Thursday afternoon, leaders from both parties and the White House were moving closer to a deal.

In the works, was a proposal that would provide funding for the rest of the agencies in the package – including Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development – through the end of September but only temporarily extending DHS funding, allowing the sides to continue to negotiate.

Ahead of the failed procedural vote, Thune appeared hopeful ahead of the procedural vote, though he would not say whether he would back some of the proposal offers by Democrats.

“We’re getting closer. Hope it lands. My hope and expectation is that if the White House and Senate Dems work this out they will be able to produce the votes that are necessary to get it passed,” he said.

On Wednesday, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer had laid out his caucus’ demands for changes to ICE tactics and protocols that they want to see included in any funding package for DHS: tighten the use of warrants and end roving patrols, enforce a code of conduct comparable to force policies for state and local law enforcement, and for ICE agents to remove their masks and wear body cameras.

However, even if there is a partial government shutdown and DHS is not funded, ICE will remain operational through funding that stems from Trump’s domestic policy package that was passed last summer.

This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.

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CNN’s Lauren Fox, Annie Grayer and Alison Main contributed to this report.