A bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security is stalling out again in Congress. Republicans invoked the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they tried Thursday to pass a bill funding the department. But Democrats blocked the legislation as they insist on changes to immigration enforcement operations. While the House will also take up the bill later Thursday, the vote will be more about putting lawmakers on the record again about where they stand. In the end, a bipartisan compromise will have to be reached to end a DHS shutdown that began Feb. 14.

Senators are clashing over an Iran war resolution as Congress' first vote on the conflict draws near. In their debate Wednesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer implored fellow senators to ask themselves if they stand with Americans "exhausted with forever wars" or with a president and defense secretary set to "bumble us headfirst" into another one. Sen. John Barrasso is second in Senate Republican leadership and said Democrats would rather obstruct President Donald Trump than "obliterate Iran's national nuclear program." The vote is expected later Wednesday.

A shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security appears certain. Lawmakers in the House and Senate are set to leave Washington for a 10-day break, while negotiations with the White House over Democrats' demands for new restrictions have stalled. The White House and Democrats have traded offers in recent days. Democrats have said they want curbs on President Donald Trump's broad campaign of immigration enforcement. They've demanded better identification for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement officers, a new code of conduct for those agencies and more use of judicial warrants, among their requests.

Democratic leaders say a proposal from the White House is "incomplete and insufficient" as they are demanding new restrictions on President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and threatening a shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement late Monday that a White House counterproposal to the list of demands they transmitted over the weekend "included neither details nor legislative text" and does not address "the concerns Americans have about ICE's lawless conduct." The White House proposal was not released publicly.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Democrats' demands for new restrictions on federal immigration officers are "unrealistic." And he's warning that the Department of Homeland Security will shut down next week if Democrats don't work with Republicans and the White House. Democrats are pressing for changes at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies in the wake of the fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis last month. The Democratic congressional leaders have come out with an expanded list of 10 detailed proposals. Short-term funding for DHS lasts through Feb. 13.

Democrats are threatening to block funding for the Homeland Security Department when it expires in two weeks unless there are "dramatic changes" and "real accountability" for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies who are carrying out President Donald Trump's campaign of federal immigration enforcement. Congress is discussing potential new rules for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection after officers shot and killed two Minneapolis protesters in January. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated their party's demands on Wednesday, with Schumer telling reporters that Congress must "rein in ICE in very serious ways, and end the violence."

The bipartisan funding deal President Donald Trump struck with Democrats to prevent a partial government shutdown this weekend appears back on track. Key Republicans pushed back on the agreement Trump struck with Democrats who are demanding new restrictions on federal immigration raids across the country. Under the deal, funding for the Department of Homeland Security would be separated from a broad government spending bill and give Congress two weeks to debate the issue. But GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham and others warned that their party was yielding too much to Democrats. Even if the Senate wraps up its work Friday, the House is not due back until Monday, meaning there could be a temporary shutdown over the weekend.

Democrats voted to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday as they continued to negotiate with Republicans and the White House on new restrictions for President Donald Trump's surge of immigration enforcement. Thursday's test vote came as Democrats have threatened a partial government shutdown when money runs out on Friday. But Trump said just ahead of the vote that "we don't want a shutdown" and the two sides were discussing a possible agreement to separate Homeland Security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund it for a short time.

A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go. Democratic Party leaders, top advocacy organizations and even some of the most centrist lawmakers in Congress are calling for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. It's a defining moment in her tenure at the department. Few Republicans are rising to Noem's defense. House Democratic leaders said she should be fired or face impeachment proceedings. But President Donald Trump gave no indication Noem's job is in jeopardy. He praised Noem for helping close the U.S. border to illegal entries.

A partial government shutdown is looming at week's end. And now Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has laid out a list of demands for the Department of Homeland Security as the Senate heads toward a crucial Thursday vote on whether to move forward with the spending legislation that funds DHS and a swath of other government agencies. Schumer says Democrats are asking the White House for an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents conducting immigration arrests and a requirement that they identify themselves to the public. Republicans will need Democratic votes to keep the government open when funding runs out at midnight Friday.