04.21.26 - Reconciliation update: what the Senate GOP did & what it means

Today, the Senate kicked off the reconciliation process Republicans hope to use to pass more funding for immigration enforcement. Below, I’ll walk through what they’ve done and what it means. 

For a guide to the reconciliation process, check out A Visual Guide to Reconciliation! 

What the budget resolution says

This morning, Senate Republicans released a budget resolution that directs the House and Senate’s Homeland Security and Judiciary committees to write a reconciliation bill by May 15. It instructs each committee to spend no more than $70 billion each ($140 billion total), although Republicans reportedly hope to cap the whole bill at around $70 billion. GOP Members want this funding to cover Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border patrol for the next three-and-a-half years—meaning, into the next president’s administration. 

Why the budget resolution matters 

In telling specific committees to write parts of the reconciliation bill, the budget resolution defines the universe of topics the bill can possibly cover. The final bill is only going to include policies that fall under those committees’ jurisdiction.Instructing the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees is consistent with a bill just focused on immigration.

The instructions also indicate that Republicans do not plan to offset this new immigration spending with new revenue measures or corresponding spending cuts.

But that could still change…

What happens next 

Senate Republicans could reportedly start voting on this resolution as early as today (Tuesday, April 21). The House could then vote next week—depending on how long things take in the Senate.

Part of approving the budget resolution in the Senate is a vote-a-rama, wherein senators from both parties can force a marathon of votes. While Democrats may look to put the GOP on the record on tough issues, Republicans who oppose this bill’s immigration-only approach might seek to broaden its scope. Other Republicans who oppose more spending without corresponding cuts could similarly try to amend the resolution.

Remember: President Trump wants this bill on his desk by June 1. On top of that, House Republicans refuse to open the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until the bill is done. Broadening this package’s scope could mean jeopardizing that timeline and keeping DHS shuttered even longer.

The big takeaway

This budget resolution tells us that Republicans will spend the next month-plus focused on sending billions more in taxpayer dollars to Border Patrol and ICE—an agency that half of America wants to abolish and most Americans think is making the country less safe.

They’re doing this while Americans are naming health care costs and access as their number one concern. They’re also doing this less than a year after greenlighting an extra $170 billion for immigration enforcement, paid for by cuts to health care and food assistance, and just months after the country watched immigration agents kill Renée Good and Alex Pretti.  

This budget resolution could also have long-term implications for how Congress passes government funding laws. More on that in our April 2 update. 

We’ll keep you updated as this process moves forward.

If you’d like a live update for your group or coalition, reach out to catherine@webuildprogress.org. Thanks!