Daily Update - February 2, 2026

Republican Senators and the Nose of the Camel

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About Reuel Sample

This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Monday, February 2nd, 2026.

Eight Republican Senators – including both from North Carolina – derailed their party’s long-negotiated plans to keep the government open last week. President Trump – intent on avoiding another shutdown – was forced to negotiate with Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer over the most controversial aspects of the spending bill – the Department of Homeland Security which funds Immigration and Custom Enforcement – ICE. That negotiated bill – which separated out some spending for DHS - passed with bi-partisan support.

Because it is not the bill the House passed, the whole process has to start over in the lower chamber. Congressman Hakeem Jefferies- the leader of the Democrat opposition in the House, has stated that he will not help in the passage of this bill in any way unless the tactics and authority of DHS are thoroughly addressed and hashed out.

That is Democrat-speak for abolish ICE or else.

Regarding the ongoing illegal immigration issue Senator Tedd Budd from North Carolina stated:

"I think people are OK with enforcement, but they don't like the tactics. Let's make them less visceral. Let's make them effective."

Senator, they are effective. When local law enforcement and government officials cooperate and participate in the rounding up of illegal immigrants, the whole operation is done quite effectively with minimal disruption and outcry. For example, in West Virginia ICE just rounded up over 650 people over a two-week period. People who should not be in our country in the first place and who commit additional crimes while they are here. No riots, no one getting shot, no ICE agents being harassed – just the law being enforced.

Because Senators Tillis and Budd and six others of their GOP colleagues gave into the handwringing and fretting of the lawless Left, the government shutdown will likely continue for quite a while. This should have been a united Republican call for the Democrats to not shut down the government. But the proverbial nose of the camel is now in the tent. The door has been opened for a whole host of radical left demands.

Good luck with that Senators. It is certainly not what we voted for.

For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening.

Reuel Sample is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wilmington Standard. A graduate of Grove City College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he has served as both a Presbyterian Pastor and a Navy Chaplain. He is the product of a classical liberal arts education combined with real world experience in politics and business and conservative Christian worldview firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition. He is the host of several podcasts including the NHC GOP Podcast, the Pastor's Voice, and co-hosts the Nikki and Reuel Podcast Experience. An avid sailor, he has sailed around the world as a youth and to the Azores as a teen as well as extensive trips up and down the east coast of the United States. He is honored to be married to his wife Pam and makes his home in Wilmington, NC.