The US Senate has approved a Republican budget resolution to fund immigration enforcement agencies with about $70 billion through President Trump's term, using the reconciliation process to bypass Democratic support. The measure passed 50-48 after an overnight vote-a-rama, with two GOP senators joining Democrats in opposition. It now moves to the House of Representatives.
Senate Republicans advanced their plan late Wednesday into early Thursday, adopting the blueprint in a 50-48 vote. Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky sided with Democrats against it, while two senators were absent for personal reasons. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota confirmed the expected total cost at $70 billion, covering 3.5 years for agencies like ICE under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The resolution directs the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to draft legislation that could increase the deficit by up to $70 billion combined. This action follows a record partial shutdown of DHS, which Democrats linked to demands for immigration policy changes after two US citizens died at the hands of federal agents earlier this year. Reconciliation allows passage with a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote filibuster threshold that Republicans, holding 53 seats, cannot meet without bipartisan help. The budget measure heads to the House, where some Republicans want to broaden its scope, potentially requiring further Senate negotiations and another vote-a-rama. President Trump set a June 1 deadline for the bill's passage. The process, rooted in the 1974 Congressional Budget Act, has been used for major partisan priorities, such as tax cuts in 2017 and Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.
