The Senate floor erupted Wednesday as Republicans and Democrats sparred over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with one point becoming clear: neither side was close to reaching a deal.

While senators met behind closed doors just steps from the chamber, party leaders accused each other of refusing to negotiate over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the key sticking point in the standoff.

«You can cry about it. You can whine about it. You lost an election over it,» Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said. «The White House has dealt with you in good faith. You want to prolong this until you get another incident, while your activists are on the street confronting ICE agents in sanctuary jurisdictions, hoping they get some viral moment.»

So far, Senate Republicans have delegated final say over any agreement to the White House, though the back and forth between both sides has slowed to a grinding halt.

KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS

Republicans want DHS reopened in the short term, while negotiations over reforms to ICE continue. Democrats, meanwhile, have offered a funding proposal that would carve out immigration enforcement but reopen other key functions, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

At the center of the dispute is whether either side will agree to formal negotiations. Republicans say Democrats are ignoring their offers to meet, while Democrats contend they have not received an invitation.

KRISTI NOEM’S FIRING FAILS TO SWAY DEMOCRATS AS DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., tried to force a vote on Democrats’ DHS funding bill that would carve out funding for ICE and CBP.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

«We are here today, and we are trying to close a deal that would enable us to fund all the agencies that the Democrats say they want funded with reforms to ICE,» Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. «And I’ve seen the offer sheet from the White House, and they have gone a lot farther, a lot farther than any Democrat I thought was even possible.»

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said their demands for reform are straightforward, though Republicans have drawn red lines against proposals that would require ICE agents to obtain judicial warrants and unmask their identities, citing concerns about doxxing.

«But the bottom line is they refused, probably because the right wing doesn’t like it,» Schumer said. «So then let’s fund everything else but ICE and Border Patrol.»

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Sen. Katie Britt, a Republican from Alabama, attends a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The floor fight was ignited by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and her attempt to force a vote on a DHS spending bill that stripped out funding for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

But both ICE and CBP are flush with billions in funding for the next handful of years thanks to Republicans’ «big, beautiful bill.» 

Still, she argued that Democrats would not be «blackmailed» into funding immigration operations after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, who were shot and killed by ICE agents in Minnesota.

«I am willing to talk to people, but I’m not willing to sit in a room, have coffee, give away a few things, and have Stephen Miller override whatever we all agreed to in a room,» Murray said.

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There has been little movement in the stalemate over DHS. The White House made its last offer nearly two weeks ago, and Democrats rejected it.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who was tapped by Thune to lead DHS negotiations for Senate Republicans, contended that Murray and Senate Democrats’ latest offer «would effectively defund our law enforcement.»

«Look, we’re not going back to the era of ‘defund the police,’» Britt said. «We’re not doing it.»

Desde su formación en la Universidad de Buenos a su desembarco en el Hospital Hadassah en Jerusalén, la doctora Malena Cohen tiene un único propósito: salvar la vida de sus pacientes sin distinguir origen, religión ni ideas políticas. En diálogo con TN reveló cómo es atender en medio de una guerra.

En una entrevista exclusiva junto a Nelson Castro, la médica argentina, que se desempeña como jefa del servicio de neumonología pediátrica del hospital, dio detalles sobre los protocolos de emergencia, el miedo que atraviesan sus pacientes y las condiciones a las que se tuvieron que adaptar desde el comienzo de la guerra entre Israel e Irán.

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Según contó Cohen, actualmente se encuentran atendiendo a los pacientes en una unidad que se abrió poco después de los ataques del 7 de octubre de 2023, donde se recibe a adultos y menores.

“Cuando suenan las sirenas tenemos aproximadamente un minuto y medio para correr a resguardarnos. Aunque en el caso de internación, es un área sumamente protegida, que en caso de emergencia no se debe trasladar a los pacientes y se sigue todo normal”, indicó.

El hospital está equipado para atender casos de alta complejidad y allí conviven pacientes musulmanes con israelíes.

Por el momento no hubo necesidad de atender muchos casos de heridos de guerra: “Por suerte en esta parte de Jerusalén no hubo tanta necesidad de recibir heridos por misiles, los que hubo fueron atendidos y se internaron”, destacó.

El principal problema que atraviesan es la dificultad de trasladado que tienen los pacientes habituales para continuar sus tratamientos: “Muchos tienen miedo de venir a los controles porque tienen miedo de trasladarse de una ciudad a otra, pasar por la ruta, tener que manejar y demás”, contó Cohen.

“Muchos pacientes deciden no venir, lo que crea un inconveniente porque son enfermedades que si no tienen el seguimiento normal se pueden llegar a deteriorar, pero tratamos de ser flexibles, verlos en otros horarios o hacer consultas virtuales, porque entendemos la situación”, explicó.

Si bien el hospital es considerado un lugar seguro porque está en una zona protegida, lo complejo son los traslados y no solo para los pacientes sino también pata los trabajadores del centro de salud.

Malena Cohen tuvo que resguardarse tres veces desde el comienzo de la guerra en el trayecto de su casa al hospital, porque según explicó, si suenan las sirenas cuando van en el auto tienen que cumplir con un protocolo que es bajarse del coche, tirarse al suelo y cubrirse la cabeza.

Sin embargo, la situación de riesgo nunca la hizo poner en duda el desarrollo de sus funciones: “En mi rol de médica ni siquiera me cuestiono el venir a trabajar o no”.

También contó que desde el hospital ofrecen un acompañamiento para los profesionales que trabajan allí: “Tenemos apoyo psicológico, el hospital nos brinda grupos de reflexión y apoyo de todo tipo”.

Cohen reveló que si bien hasta ahora no fue necesario, el hospital tiene un plan de atención para asistir a posibles heridos de la guerra: “Estamos preparados para esos casos, hay un equipo grande de médicos que se dedican a trauma, terapia intensiva y demás. Es un equipo que está preparado y vive en las cercanías del hospital”.

El hospital como lugar seguro, sin distinción de origen ni religión

Malena Cohen contó que le tocó atender a un nene de Gaza mientras dos de sus hijos estaban en la zona del conflicto como soldados de guerra.

“Acá en el Hadassah somos muy solidarios. Para mi si el paciente viene de Gaza o es ultra ortodoxo o es judío o cristiano o musulmán o de donde venga, para mí es un paciente y voy a dar todo por él”, destacó.

“Acá no se habla de política ni de religión, se cruza la puerta del hospital y compartimos todos lo mismo, más allá de sus formas de pensar. Acá es ayudar al otro”, agregó.

Cohen reconoció que tener a sus hijos en la guerra fue duro para ella: “Me costaba tener a una parte de mi, que son mis hijos, al frente. No poder ayudarlos, saber que están adentro de Gaza y no poder saber nada de ellos… y la impotencia como madre de no poder resguardarlos, eso fue muy difícil”.

Por último, cerró con un mensaje hacia todos los argentinos: “Les quiero decir que estamos haciendo lo que podemos, que estamos sobrellevando la situación lo mejor posible, si bien no es fácil y hay momentos de angustia y de miedo, vamos a seguir adelante porque somos un pueblo fuerte, un país compuesto por gente maravillosa, de todo tipo de religión, de color y de ideas políticas. Vamos a seguir adelante, dando lo mejor posible, para que esto tenga un fin”, concluyó.

While California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom blames President Donald Trump’s actions in Iran for the price of gas, critics are calling him out for «insane» climate policies as the state’s prices at the pump soar significantly above the national average.

On Tuesday, Newsom, who is widely considered a top contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, took to X to slam «Trump’s war with Iran» over gas prices.  

Newsom wrote that «Americans will pay $1.5 BILLION MORE at the gas pump just this week because of Donald Trump’s war with Iran.» He added that California «will continue using the tools we’ve spent years developing to help fight price spikes and lessen the blow from Trump’s recklessness.»

In response, Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for California governor, slammed Newsom, saying, «California has the highest gas taxes and fees in America.»

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«Gavin Newsom is trying to shift blame,» said Hilton, «and he’s blaming these insane gas prices in California, $5.49, $5.69, heading to $6, on the war in Iran. It’s not the war in Iran, because in the rest of the country, they don’t have $5.49, they have $3 gas.»

«It’s entirely because of Gavin Newsom’s insane climate dogma that we have the highest gas taxes in the country,» he continued.

Hilton called on Newsom to end his national book tour and to immediately «suspend the gas tax.»

At approximately $5.33 per gallon, California has by far the highest average gas prices in the U.S., according to AAA. California gas prices significantly exceed those in the next two highest-priced states, Washington and Hawaii, which have average prices of $4.72 and $4.69 per gallon, respectively. Meanwhile, the national average in the U.S. is $3.57 per gallon.

California has the highest gas tax, at roughly 70 cents per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

In a 2025 opinion piece on Fox News Digital, Hilton wrote that «California’s sky-high gas prices» are the «direct result of 15 years of one-party Democratic rule.»

He added that «Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and every other leading Democrat in the state have been cheerleaders for this ‘war on fossil fuels,’ endlessly bragging about ‘leading the world’ on climate change.»

SUPREME COURT BLOCKS CALIFORNIA BAN ON NOTIFYING STUDENTS’ PARENTS ABOUT GENDER TRANSITIONS

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speaks alongside Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez (out of frame), after their meeting at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on March 4, 2026.  (Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)

Hilton is not the only one criticizing Newsom’s oil and gas policies.

Roxanne Hoge, chair of the Los Angeles County GOP, called Newsom’s take «a textbook case of projection, pointing fingers at others while his own record is riddled with mismanagement and failure.» 

«Californians have seen the cost of gas be higher than the rest of the USA for reasons having nothing to do with President Trump. He has driven supply down by banishing producers while not fixing infrastructure with gas tax money as promised,» Hoge told Fox News Digital, adding, «We all know that Gavin Newsom has moved on to campaigning for president in spite of his atrocious record at home.»

On Wednesday, Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X that «California is KILLING their economy!» 

The secretary wrote that while Newsom «continues to close refineries & drive up gas prices for California,» the department approved over 6,000 drilling permits «to advance [Trump’s] American Energy Dominance Agenda & lower gas prices nationwide.» 

Chevron President Andy Walz also recently sounded the alarm, warning California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state regulators that newly proposed «cap-and-invest» amendments are a death knell for California’s remaining refineries.

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The California Air Resources Board is aiming to make companies cleaner by aggressively lowering the cap on how much total pollution is allowed in the state. Specifically, the board is proposing to pull 118.3 million allowances out of the state’s market between 2027 and 2030 and has more recently increased its carbon reduction target to 90% by 2045.

The energy giant warns the move will kill more than half a million jobs, threaten national security and spike gas prices by more than a dollar per gallon — all to fuel a state-run «shakedown» of the energy sector — in a letter addressed to Newsom and obtained by The California Globe.

«The proposed regulation will cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries, which will result in California losing the entire industry to this misguided program,» Chevron President Andy Walz wrote.

«This regulation will increase transportation and aviation fuel prices for consumers. It will risk significant job losses, including many high-paying union jobs, while reducing funding for essential public services,» he continued, adding that «it will upend California’s fuels market and threaten critical energy and national security assets.»

In the same vein, Tim Stewart, a spokesperson for the U.S. Oil & Gas Association, told Fox News Digital that «California’s energy malaise is beginning to infect the other western states’ economies and unless there is a course change immediately, we will all feel the pain of decades of horribly bad California energy policy led by Governor Newsom.» 

One expert predicted «we will all feel the pain of decades of horribly bad California energy policy led by Governor Newsom.»  (Getty Images)

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«California’s gross mismanagement of its energy production and distribution economy is becoming a national security issue, and it now impacts all of us,» Stewart continued, adding that in addition to this, «agriculture, manufacturing, housing, the financial system is all impacted.» 

«It doesn’t have to be this way, and Governor Newsom knows it,» said Stewart. «He also knows that no matter how hard he tries – he can’t pin this on Trump or our industry. The public isn’t buying it anymore.»

Fox Business’ Kristen Altus contributed to this report.