Executive Branch

White House Calls Democrats’ Counteroffer on DHS Funding ‘Very Unserious’

As the DHS shutdown hits its fifth day, the White House and congressional Democrats do not seem to be nearing a deal.
White House Calls Democrats’ Counteroffer on DHS Funding ‘Very Unserious’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a news briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Feb. 18, 2026. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Jackson Richman
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The White House on Feb. 18 dismissed a Democratic counterproposal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as “very unserious,” as the partial shutdown of the agency entered its fifth day.

During a news briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Democrats sent a revised offer to the Trump administration the previous night but that it was rejected.

Jackson Richman
Jackson Richman
Reporter
Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.
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