Senate and House Republican leadership have revived a previously stalled plan aimed at funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a record shutdown that lasted 47 days.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., announced that the House will consider a measure recently passed by the Senate, which proposes funding most DHS operations, with the exception of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, through the end of September.
The Republicans intend to allocate funding for ICE and Border Patrol for three years through a budget reconciliation bill that can be passed along party lines, thereby circumventing the need for Democratic support.
In their joint statement, Thune and Johnson emphasized, "By implementing this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, ensure that all federal workers are compensated, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years, allowing those law-enforcement activities to proceed without interruption."
This agreement was reached nearly one week after House Republicans rejected a similar proposal, opting instead to advance a temporary 60-day funding bill for all aspects of DHS—a plan that faced considerable resistance from Senate Democrats.
Johnson previously referred to the earlier proposal as a "joke," while President Trump did not publicly endorse the revised deal, having shown reluctance towards any agreement that did not incorporate his demands for significant changes to federal election policies.
Democrats expressed their support for the new agreement, consistent with their stance against increasing funding for ICE without implementing necessary reforms, particularly in light of past incidents involving ICE that have resulted in fatalities of U.S. citizens. Nonetheless, the current deal does not incorporate any of the policy reforms that Democrats are advocating for.
Amid ongoing partisan tensions, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the divisions within the Republican Party for hindering the progress of a bipartisan agreement, which he argued has negatively impacted American families.
In a show of potential support for the renewed agreement, Trump called for a partisan bill focused on funding immigration enforcement, emphasizing the necessity of timely financial support for border and ICE agents by June 1.
Despite the ongoing shutdown, the impact on ICE has been limited due to prior funding approvals facilitated through an alternative reconciliation bill by Republicans.
While Congress is currently in a two-week recess, both chambers could seek to finalize funding for all of DHS, except for ICE and Border Patrol, as soon as Thursday through unanimous consent, thereby avoiding the need for a formal vote unless objections arise.
However, a faction of hard-line conservatives within the House is opposed to any agreement that does not include comprehensive funding for DHS, which complicates the proposed legislation's passage.
Claudia Grisales contributed reporting.
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