WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., called the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis “tragic” but urged her Democratic colleagues Monday to support the final spending package, which includes funding for immigration enforcement, to avoid another government shutdown.
Outraged by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Democrats have vowed to oppose the Department of Homeland Security funding bill ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Britt, who chairs the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and helped broker in November an end to the longest-ever government shutdown, said a funding lapse does “not help anyone” and is “not in the best interest of the American people.”
“As we approach a government funding deadline, I remain committed to finding a pathway forward,” Britt said in a statement posted on X.
Alabama’s junior senator used similar language earlier this month when describing her negotiations with Democrats before the release of the text of the bipartisan homeland security spending bill.
Britt said she supports a “fair and impartial” investigation into the fatal shooting over the weekend. She also blamed the “violent rhetoric from the Left” which she said has led to increased tensions with law enforcement.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has yet to comment publicly on the killing of Pretti. A spokesperson for the senator told Alabama Daily News a response is forthcoming, but as of Tuesday morning, no comment was available.
The DHS bill is part of a six-bill package up for consideration in the Senate this week that would fund the remaining parts of the government after President Donald Trump signed the other six funding bills into law. The House passed the package last week, with Alabama’s delegation split on party lines on homeland security funding.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, called Pretti and Renee Good’s deaths “appalling.” He said there needs to be an overhaul of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Senate Democrats have made clear we are ready to quickly advance the five appropriations bills separately from the DHS funding bill before the January 30th deadline,” Schumer said in a statement Monday.
If the package is not separated, Schumer already placed the blame on Republicans for forcing a partial shutdown. But, if any changes are made to the legislation in the Senate, it will have to go back to the House, which isn’t set to return to Washington until Feb. 2, upping the chances of a shutdown.
All eight Democrats who voted with Republicans to end the shutdown in November have signaled their support of stripping the DHS bill out of the larger package. Only Sen. John Fetterman, D-PA, said he would not vote for a shutdown.
As Britt presided over a short Senate session Monday afternoon, Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, chair of the Appropriations Committee, said she shared “concerns” about the DHS bill after the death of Pretti. But highlighted there are “safeguards” in the legislation, such as $20 million for body cameras and increased de-escalation training.
“I hope we can come together in a constructive way to get this done and to ensure that we do not lurch into a dangerous and detrimental government shutdown,” Collins said on the Senate floor.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, was the first Alabama lawmaker to respond publicly to the shooting of Pretti, calling for the immediate removal of ICE from Minnesota and an end to the “campaign of cruelty.”
“Every American who values freedom should be united in condemning this horrific and unnecessary tragedy,” Sewell said on X Saturday.
On Sunday, Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, said the death of Pretti “cannot be justified or tolerated.” He also criticized the Trump administration over its characterization of what happened over the weekend.
“Seeing ‘leadership’ immediately jump to conclusions to justify this shooting with no investigation is irresponsible and dangerous,” Figures posted on social media.
None of Alabama’s House Republicans have commented publicly on the Minneapolis shooting. Rep. Barry Moore, R Enterprise, who is running for Senate, posted on his campaign account that he supported the president’s decision to send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security bill also includes funding for FEMA, the Coast Guard and TSA, which Britt highlighted.
“These programs are critical to keeping Americans safe and must be funded,” she said.
But it remains unclear what the pathway forward looks like in the Senate as Republicans and Democrats stand firm on their views on homeland security funds.
The Senate is set to take its first vote of the week on Tuesday evening, after the work week was shortened because of the snowstorm.