Congress is a step closer to reopening the Department of Homeland Security since its two-month shutdown that began mid-February. Early morning Thursday, Senate Republicans passed a $70 billion budget to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection for the next three years. The bill now heads to the House for approval. But importantly, the bill only funds ICE and CBP, leaving other critical DHS agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration, unfunded. Funding for those agencies is part of a separate bill that remains stalled in Congress. House Republicans are expected to use the reconciliation process to push the bill through, which allowed the Senate to approve it with a simple majority instead of the usual 60-vote requirement Thursday.There could be potential complications in the House. Some conservative lawmakers are pushing to add policy demands to the bill, such as the Save America Act, a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that President Donald Trump wants passed. If those additions are included, it could disrupt the timeline for passing the bill. “Right now, I think Mike Johnson is dealing with some members who would like to expand it a bit, so it’s not guaranteed, but I think at the end of the day, they’ll get there,” senior Brookings fellow Wendell Primus said. Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that if Congress does not act, DHS will be unable to pay employees as soon as early May. Still, House Republicans said they would not address a bill funding DHS until progress is made on funding ICE and Border Patrol as well. Primus says Republicans may need to rely on the reconciliation process to pass any budget-related bills later this year. The reconciliation process lowers the voting threshold from 60 votes to 51 votes. However, if Democrats gain control of Congress after the midterms, Primus says the president may be forced to compromise on future budget proposals.”It will be much harder because then there really will have to be bipartisan legislation,” Primus said. “That will really change things because then Trump will have to compromise.”Watch the latest on the DHS partial shutdown:
Congress is a step closer to reopening the Department of Homeland Security since its two-month shutdown that began mid-February.
Early morning Thursday, Senate Republicans passed a $70 billion budget to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection for the next three years.
The bill now heads to the House for approval. But importantly, the bill only funds ICE and CBP, leaving other critical DHS agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration, unfunded.
Funding for those agencies is part of a separate bill that remains stalled in Congress.
House Republicans are expected to use the reconciliation process to push the bill through, which allowed the Senate to approve it with a simple majority instead of the usual 60-vote requirement Thursday.
There could be potential complications in the House. Some conservative lawmakers are pushing to add policy demands to the bill, such as the Save America Act, a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that President Donald Trump wants passed. If those additions are included, it could disrupt the timeline for passing the bill.
“Right now, I think Mike Johnson is dealing with some members who would like to expand it a bit, so it’s not guaranteed, but I think at the end of the day, they’ll get there,” senior Brookings fellow Wendell Primus said.
Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that if Congress does not act, DHS will be unable to pay employees as soon as early May.
Still, House Republicans said they would not address a bill funding DHS until progress is made on funding ICE and Border Patrol as well.
Primus says Republicans may need to rely on the reconciliation process to pass any budget-related bills later this year. The reconciliation process lowers the voting threshold from 60 votes to 51 votes. However, if Democrats gain control of Congress after the midterms, Primus says the president may be forced to compromise on future budget proposals.
“It will be much harder because then there really will have to be bipartisan legislation,” Primus said. “That will really change things because then Trump will have to compromise.”
Watch the latest on the DHS partial shutdown:
