The Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security Committee have released the text of a $72 billion budget reconciliation bill. If passed, it would guarantee funding for ICE and the Border Patrol through 2029. This package is meant to get around Democratic opposition by using the special budget reconciliation process, which only needs a simple majority vote to move forward instead of the usual 60 votes.
The committees acted after the Senate and House passed a joint budget resolution last month that made this shortcut possible. Republicans have been unable to get funding for immigration enforcement for months because Democrats wanted changes to the law. The GOP is now going ahead on its own.
Fact Box – What’s in the $72 Billion Bill
How the Budget Reconciliation Process Unlocks ICE and Border Patrol Funding
The Judiciary Committee’s report says that the government will give ICE $30.73 billion to hire, pay, train, and equip officers, agents, investigators, attorneys, and support staff through the end of fiscal year 2029.
which is one year after the end of President Trump’s second term.A separate bill from the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees would give ICE $30.73 billion to hire, pay, train, and equip personnel, including officers, agents, investigators, attorneys, and support staff, through fiscal year 2029, which is one year after President Trump’s second term ends.A different bill from the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees would give Customs and Border Protection (CBP) workers $22.57 billion over the same time period. The Judiciary panel’s bill also gives Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin 2.5 billion dollars to enforce immigration laws.
Presidential Fitness Test Award: Trump’s Health Contradiction Explained
The bill also gives $2.5 billion to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin to enforce immigration laws.The bill also gives the U.S. Secret Service $1 billion to improve security at the White House compound, which is connected to the new ballroom complex that will take the place of the historic East Wing. But the law says that none of this money can be used for things in the ballroom that aren’t related to security.
Democratic Backlash Over ICE and Border Patrol Funding and the Trump Ballroom
Democratic leaders quickly spoke out against the plan. New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who is the leader of the Senate Democrats, said, “Republicans are on a different planet than American families.” Republicans saw families drowning in bills and thought they needed more raids and a Trump ballroom. Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon said that Democrats are ready to go through the bills “line by line” and “vigorously challenge” any parts that might break the Senate’s Byrd Rule.
The Byrd Rule governs what can pass with a simple majority and bypass a filibuster. Merkley said, “While gas prices go up every day because of Trump’s war with Iran and families have a hard time buying groceries, Republicans are ignoring the needs of middle-class America and instead giving money to Trump’s ballroom and throwing billions at two lawless agencies that already have over $100 billion in unspent funds.” The package is now going to the Senate floor for a vote. Republicans want to pass it without any help from Democrats.
