Senate passes bill to fund all parts of DHS except for ICE and parts of CBP
After 42 days of a government shutdown, Senators finally reached an agreement early Friday morning to approve a funding package that would fund the Department of Homeland Security, excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and part of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This move is a crucial step towards ending the lengthy shutdown.
The approved package by the Senate includes funding for agencies such as TSA, FEMA, The Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The bill will now move to the House for approval before reaching President Donald Trump’s desk for signing into law.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to next steps on the funding bill, stating, “Stay tuned.” He plans to hold several meetings to assess the stance of his conference. While the House is set to go on a two-week recess, there is a possibility of votes related to DHS funding during the day.
The Senate vote was initiated by Sen. Bernie Moreno, who presided over the chamber in the early hours of Friday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed pride in Democrats for standing firm on their objection to funding ICE and CBP without necessary reforms.
However, the approved package does not include funding for ICE and certain parts of CBP. Despite this, the agencies will continue to receive funds due to the influx of cash in the overall funding bill. Additionally, the package lacks the reforms to ICE’s operations that Democrats have been advocating for since the start of the DHS funding debate.
Majority Leader John Thune criticized Democrats for their alleged lack of willingness to negotiate in good faith, arguing that they could have achieved some reforms if they had cooperated better. Thune accused Democrats of prioritizing politics over policy and self-interest over reform.
Looking ahead, Republicans are determined to work on a package later in the year to allocate more funding for ICE and CBP. They plan to use reconciliation as a budget tool to bypass Democratic objections and pass the bill without Democratic support. Sen. Eric Schmitt has promised that this upcoming bill will significantly increase deportations.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, Democrats remain committed to pushing for reforms, emphasizing that there will be opportunities to address these issues in the future. Despite the challenges and disagreements, both parties are working towards a resolution to ensure the smooth functioning of vital government agencies.
