The House of Representatives passed a Senate-backed budget resolution to fund federal immigration agencies through President Trump's term, bypassing Democratic opposition. The move follows a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security since February, with Republicans aiming to meet a June deadline. The plan involves using budget reconciliation to secure funding for ICE and the Border Patrol, while funding other DHS components separately. Internal GOP disagreements and Democratic demands for reforms have complicated the process, but Republicans remain committed to their strategy.
Washington — The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a Senate -backed budget resolution, marking the initial phase of a Republican-led strategy to secure funding for federal immigration agencies through the remainder of President Trump's term without Democratic support.
The Senate had introduced and passed the budget framework the previous week, aiming to meet Mr. Trump's June deadline to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol, thereby ending the funding gap that has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partially shut down since February. The resolution passed the House with a narrow margin of 215 to 211, directing committees overseeing ICE and the Border Patrol to draft legislation allocating approximately $70 billion to these agencies.
While the budget plan's adoption allows lawmakers to begin crafting funding legislation, both chambers will still need to approve the final bills. Republicans intend to fund other DHS components separately. The urgency to fully fund DHS has intensified following the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting on Saturday, which heightened concerns about national security. Democrats, however, argue that most of DHS could be funded immediately if House Republican leaders allowed a vote on bipartisan legislation the Senate passed in March.
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued on Tuesday warned that DHS will soon exhaust critical operating funds, jeopardizing essential personnel and operations. Although President Trump had instructed the department to identify available funds to pay personnel during the shutdown, the memo indicated that the administration would be unable to pay employees starting in May. The House vote was not without internal Republican strife.
What was anticipated to be a swift process turned into a protracted debate as some House Republicans rebelled over an unrelated farm bill issue. Democrats have consistently refused to fund ICE and the Border Patrol without accompanying reforms.
Additionally, a rift between House and Senate Republicans over whether to separate funding for DHS components unrelated to immigration enforcement has further delayed progress. A potential resolution emerged in late March when the Senate approved a measure to fund most of DHS, excluding ICE and the Border Patrol. Senate Republicans then planned to fund immigration enforcement through budget reconciliation, a process that bypasses the need for Democratic support.
House Democrats expressed willingness to back the Senate-passed bill to fund most of DHS, but GOP leadership declined to bring it to the House floor for a vote, fearing opposition from conservatives who wanted it bundled with voter ID requirements. Instead, House Republicans passed a stopgap measure to fund all DHS agencies for 60 days, sending the issue back to the Senate, where Democratic votes are necessary to overcome a filibuster.
Republicans have since reverted to a dual approach: funding immigration agencies through reconciliation and the rest of DHS via traditional appropriations. Reconciliation enables the Senate to advance budget-related legislation with a simple majority, circumventing the usual 60-vote requirement and avoiding Democratic opposition. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, stated last week that Democrats had forced Republicans to use reconciliation to ensure funding for these critical agencies.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, announced that the lower chamber would prioritize the reconciliation measure before voting on the Senate's March bill, which funds the remainder of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). However, some House Republicans have raised concerns about the broader DHS funding bill, citing language that eliminates funding for immigration enforcement.
Johnson criticized the bill as hastily drafted but assured that a modified version would be more favorable for both chambers. Thune defended the Senate's efforts, asserting that they had ensured all components were adequately funded. Johnson dismissed suggestions of discord between House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and the White House, emphasizing unity. We're all one team, working together, he said on Wednesday, noting his recent meeting with Thune to align strategies
House Of Representatives Senate Immigration Funding Department Of Homeland Security Budget Reconciliation
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