Sen. John Fetterman warned that DHS is headed for a shutdown as Democrats clash with Republicans over border policy and voter ID.
The Pennsylvania Democrat told “Sunday Morning Futures” that he expects funding to lapse as talks stall. He separated himself from party leaders while backing border enforcement and calling voter ID reasonable.
“I absolutely would expect that it’s going to shut down,” Fetterman said.
DHS funding expires Friday after lawmakers split it from a broader spending package. A shutdown would affect TSA screeners, FEMA disaster operations and border enforcement agents.
SENATOR JOHN FETTERMAN expresses doubt about averting the shutdown, citing Democratic requests being dismissed by Republicans. He emphasizes border security and deporting criminals, supporting the Laken Bill.
SENATOR FETTERMAN advocates for voter ID, referencing its popularity… pic.twitter.com/cJ8gMF9Xt6
— BELINDA WOOLEY (@BMWQQ17) February 8, 2026
Fetterman stated that he does not want a government shutdown. He predicted that both parties will remain stuck past the deadline.
Democrats have demanded changes to DHS policies after nationwide protests and rising scrutiny.
January immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota left two Americans dead, and both cases remain under investigation.
Democratic proposals included requiring agents to unmask, mandating body cameras and securing judicial warrants before arrests. Republican lawmakers rejected those reforms.
Some Democrats have floated dissolving DHS. Fetterman instead urged focus on border security and deporting criminals.
“Secure our border… deport all the criminals,” he said. “Those are very fundamental things that most Americans signed up for.”
The funding standoff exposed a split among party lines over election rules. Democrats oppose the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, which would require states to verify voter eligibility.
Republicans argue the bill strengthens election integrity. Democrats contend it could block eligible voters who lack photo identification.
Fetterman rejected that framing and called voter ID reasonable. He cited states such as Wisconsin that already require identification.
“It’s not a radical idea for regular Americans to show your ID to vote,” Fetterman said.
“I don’t ever want to vote to shut our government down again,” he added.
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Sen. Adam Schiff faced similar questions during an interview with ABC anchor Jonathan Karl.
A Pew Research poll conducted in August 2025 found that 83 percent of adults support requiring photo ID to vote. The poll showed 71 percent of Democrats and 95 percent of Republicans favor that requirement.
Karl pressed Schiff on whether Democrats could compromise on photo ID.
“Republicans have created distrust in the elections by making claims of nonexistent fraud in the elections, and shouldn’t we use the distrust they’ve created in order to enact a voter suppression law, which is the SAVE Act, which would require people to have a birth certificate or passport — documents that millions of Americans don’t have,” Schiff responded.
Almost half the country doesn’t have a passport, and I don’t know where many millions of people would even find a birth certificate,” he added.
Karl clarified that he was asking about photo ID rather than passports or birth certificates.
“But I was asking you a different question: photo ID. Because, as you know, let’s show there was a recent poll, there’s been a lot of polls on this, but in one recent Pew poll, 83% of adults support requiring photo ID to vote,” Karl clarified.
“Seventy-one percent of Democrats favor requiring photo ID,” he added. “Is that something that you can support? And if not, why?”
Schiff argued that photo ID would still prevent some citizens from voting.
“It’s still going to be something that disenfranchises people that don’t have the proper Real ID, driver’s license ID, that don’t have the ID necessary to vote, even though they are citizens. This is another way to simply try to suppress the vote,” Schiff scoffed.
He added that election rules should not deter participation. “The last thing I think we want to do is discourage more citizens from voting while they’re attacking those same elections, while they’re trying to do away with absentee ballot voting, while they’re trying to do away with being able to register to vote through the DMV or by the mail,” he continued.
“So, it’s part of the broader disenfranchisement effort, and no, I don’t think that’s the right direction,” Schiff concluded.
The voter ID fight spilled into campaign politics in Georgia. Sen. Jon Ossoff required attendees at a weekend campaign rally in Atlanta to show government issued photo identification.
An email confirmation for the event stated that “a matching government-issued ID will be verified against the RSVP list by name to enter.”
Rep. Mike Collins, who is running in the Republican primary to challenge Ossoff in 2026, accused the Democrat of a double standard.
“Jon Ossoff is about to vote against the SAVE Act, but is requiring a government-issued ID to get into his rally in Atlanta tomorrow,” a Collins campaign account posted.
“There should be more security in American elections than there is to listen to Jon Ossoff’s lies.”
Jon Ossoff is about to vote against the SAVE Act, but is requiring a government-issued ID to get into his rally in Atlanta tomorrow.
There should be more security in American elections than there is to listen to Jon Ossoff's lies. pic.twitter.com/TlXSHGKPTd
— Mike Collins War Room (@TeamOverhaulGA) February 6, 2026
Ossoff has worked with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to oppose voter ID proposals. Both Democrats have referenced the late civil rights leader John Lewis in their arguments.
Schumer told MS NOW that the SAVE Act echoes past discrimination.
“It’s Jim Crow 2.0, and I called it Jim Crow 2.0, and the right wing went nuts all over the Internet,” Schumer said.
“That’s because they know it’s true. What they’re trying to do here is the same thing that was done in the South for decades to prevent people of color from voting.”
He argued that documentation rules could block eligible voters.
“If you can’t find a birth certificate, or a proper ID, you’ll be discriminated against,” Schumer said, calling the effort “vicious and nasty.”
