Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a Senate-backed budget framework, clearing the first hurdle in a Republican strategy to fund key immigration enforcement agencies without Democratic support — even as a broader funding impasse continues to shutter much of the Department of Homeland Security.
The measure passed narrowly, 215-211, after hours of internal GOP disputes, highlighting deep divisions within the party over how to resolve the months-long stalemate.
The budget resolution, initially adopted by the U.S. Senate last week, directs congressional committees to draft legislation providing roughly $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
The move comes as Republicans race to meet a June deadline set by President Donald Trump to fully fund immigration enforcement operations.
The Department of Homeland Security has been partially shut down since February, with officials warning that emergency measures used to maintain payroll are running out.
Republicans are pursuing a two-track approach: funding immigration agencies through the budget reconciliation process — which allows passage with a simple majority in the Senate — while addressing the rest of DHS through separate legislation.
The strategy is designed to bypass Democratic opposition, as reconciliation bills are not subject to the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
“We have been forced … to use the reconciliation process,” said John Thune, arguing that Democrats have blocked efforts to fund the agencies through traditional means.
Democrats, however, have insisted that most of DHS could be funded immediately if House Republicans brought up a bipartisan Senate-passed bill from March.
In a memo to lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget warned that DHS “will soon run out of critical operating funds,” putting personnel and essential operations at risk.
While the administration had previously directed the department to use available funds to maintain payroll during the shutdown, officials say that stopgap funding could be exhausted as soon as May.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans plan to prioritize the reconciliation package before taking up the broader DHS funding bill.
“That bill … will be much better for both chambers,” Johnson said, referring to a revised version of the Senate legislation.
The House vote was delayed by a rebellion among some Republicans over unrelated provisions tied to a farm bill, underscoring the fragile coalition Johnson must manage.
At the same time, divisions persist between House and Senate Republicans over whether to separate immigration funding from the rest of DHS.
Some conservatives have opposed the Senate-passed measure, arguing it would effectively reduce funding for immigration enforcement.
Democrats, meanwhile, have refused to support additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol without policy changes, including reforms to enforcement practices.
The standoff has taken on renewed urgency following the recent shooting near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which Republicans have cited as evidence of the need to strengthen federal security operations.
However, the debate also reflects broader disagreements over immigration policy and the use of budget reconciliation as a legislative tool.
The approach allows Republicans to advance funding priorities without bipartisan support but limits what policy changes can be included.
With the budget resolution now adopted, committees in both chambers will begin drafting the reconciliation bill to fund immigration agencies.
That legislation will still need to pass both the House and Senate before reaching the president’s desk.
Meanwhile, the broader DHS funding fight remains unresolved, with lawmakers facing mounting pressure to act before federal payroll disruptions begin again.
Absent a breakthrough, the two-track strategy is expected to continue shaping negotiations — and prolonging uncertainty for thousands of federal workers.
