Washington Roundup: Shutdown negotiations on ICE; bishops praise new Mexico City Policy; and more
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Congress and the White House sought a last-minute path forward to avoid a partial government shutdown Jan. 30, while leaders of the U.S. bishops’ conference praised the Trump administration’s expanded Mexico City Policy on abortion.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill also unveiled new legislation meant to further studies on the use of medical devices to help reduce the number of unexplained infant deaths.
The same week, the Department of Justice said it published over 3 million additional pages in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the release of documents surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case, and the U.S. Capitol Police reported an uptick in threats against members of Congress and their families.
Congress races to avoid partial government shutdown
Six of the 12 annual spending bills for the current budget year have already been signed into law by President Donald Trump, but six more — including one funding DHS and ICE — are still pending in the Senate. Congress has until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 30 to pass the bills or have a partial government shutdown.
A previous funding package including funding for the Department of Homeland Security was called into question by Senate Democrats after the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. 37-year-old citizens and Minneapolis residents shot and killed by federal agents Jan. 7 and 24 respectively as they protested immigration enforcement actions in that city. Democrats called for it to be renegotiated to include new stronger constraints on federal immigration officers.
But the White House, Democratic and Republican senators reached a deal to strip funding for DHS from a package of six spending bills, which would allow the other five bills to pass, as well as a short extension of DHS funding at current levels to allow further negotiations.
However, that plan was delayed when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., placed a “hold” on the bill, a Senate procedure that can block quick passage, demanding votes on sanctuary states and cities, and another on an amendment regarding DOJ searches of lawmakers’ phone records in relation to Trump’s unfounded claims the 2020 election was stolen.
U.S. bishops praise expansion of Mexico City policy
Three chairmen of committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops praised Jan. 30 the Trump administration’s recent expansion of the Mexico City policy, which prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that perform elective abortions overseas, to include U.S.-based NGOs operating abroad.
“God entrusts us with a responsibility to share our blessings to help preserve the lives and dignity of our brothers and sisters in need,” said a joint statement by the chairmen — Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas, Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, Committee on Pro-Life Activities; and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, Committee on International Justice and Peace.
“We support robust funding for authentic lifesaving and life-affirming foreign assistance and applaud new policies that prevent taxpayer dollars from going to organizations that engage in ideological colonization and promote abortion or gender ideology overseas,” the statement said. “We also call for the implementation of any related policies to be carried out in a manner that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human person and does not harm those who are racially or ethnically marginalized.”
The White House’s announcement of the expanded policy came shortly before Vice President JD Vance told participants at the 53rd annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 23 that President Donald Trump is their “ally” in the White House, amid concerns from some in the pro-life movement about remaining policy priorities just over a year into Trump’s second term in the White House.
Pro-life leaders who spoke with OSV News at that event pointed to the expansion of the Mexico City policy, as well as a review of allegations Planned Parenthood illegally received $88 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related loans, and National Institutes of Health cuts to funding for research using aborted fetal tissue as positive developments for their cause. But they also said safeguarding the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding for abortion, and the reinstatement of stronger restrictions on mifepristone are significant remaining priorities.
Bipartisan legislation would fund new research for SIDS
On Jan. 28, Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced legislation that would authorize a research study on the use of medical devices to help reduce the rate of sudden infant death syndrome or sudden unexpected infant death, known as SIDS or SUIDS.
Sudden infant death syndrome, the unexplained death of a baby, claimed about 3,700 lives in the U.S. in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its cause is unknown, but can be tied to risk factors including a baby’s sleeping position, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If enacted, the Baby Observation Act, or S. 3712, would expand the use of home cardiorespiratory monitors by requiring a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the effectiveness of such monitors in preventing SIDS and SUIDS.
“While many causes and factors go into the infant mortality rates in Mississippi and around the country, we know that SIDS and SUIDS contribute to these tragic mortality rates. Our legislation would focus attention on home monitors that may prove to be an answer to helping prevent the heartbreaking loss of these beautiful babies,” Hyde-Smith, who is chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, said in a statement.
Cortez Masto said, “No parent should ever have to endure the heartbreak of suddenly losing their newborn baby.”
“I’m proud to support legislation that will allow us to better understand and prevent sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and expand the toolbox for parents looking to keep their children safe,” she added.
DOJ releases additional Epstein files
The newly published files in the sex-trafficking investigation into Epstein, a multimillionaire who was found dead in prison of an apparent hanging in 2019, included 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, the department said.
Trump has sought to distance himself from the late former financier, with whom he reportedly had a falling out in 2004. He has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein or the investigation. Trump’s name does appear in the newly published files, although some of the examples are news articles Epstein and his associates sent one another about Trump. Some of the files refer to uncorroborated sexual misconduct allegations, which Trump has denied.
The Justice Department has faced criticism for failing to meet the Dec. 19 deadline set by the law.
Capitol Police report an uptick in threats against members of Congress
The number of threat assessment cases — which include alleged concerning statements, behaviors and other communications directed against members of Congress, their families, staff, and the Capitol Complex — has climbed for the third year in a row,” U.S. Capitol Police said Jan. 28. In its 2025 report, Capitol Police said its Threat Assessment Section investigated 14,938 such cases. The number is a significant uptick from 9,474 such cases it reported in 2024 and the 8,008 it reported in 2023.
“While security on Capitol Grounds has already improved, we have been strengthening our partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the country to keep the Members of Congress safe when they are away from Capitol Hill,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said in a statement. “We want to make sure agencies have the resources they need to be able to enhance protection, which is critical to the democratic process.”
The report’s publication came the same week the Justice Department charged a man with assaulting Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., while she was speaking at an event in Minneapolis amid tension in that city after the deaths of Good and Pretti.
Anthony Kazmierczak, the man charged in connection with the incident, allegedly rushed at Omar while using a syringe to squirt apple cider vinegar on her.
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.
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