Senate Republicans bypass Democrats to advance $70bn ICE and border patrol plan in ‘vote-a-rama’– US politics live | US news
Key events
Funding for most of DHS ran out more than nine weeks ago, with Democrats pressuring Republicans and the White House to agree to new constraints on ICE and the Border Patrol, which operate under DHS.
After two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis, Democrats insisted that ICE and the Border Patrol be subject to the same operational rules as police forces across the United States, including a requirement to obtain court warrants before agents can enter private homes.
But weeks of negotiations ended in an impasse.
The Senate has since passed legislation to fund DHS operations other than ICE and Border Patrol. But the measure is blocked in the House, where the most radical Republicans have also demanded funding for these two entities.
Senate votes in favor of $70 billion funding plan for ICE and Border Patrol
Hello and welcome to the American Politics live blog.
The Senate voted to pass a $70 billion budget plan to fund ICE and the Border Patrol as part of a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The standoff has lasted since mid-February as Democrats demanded policy changes following the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents. The budget resolution would fund both agencies for three years, until Trump’s term ends.
Republicans are now trying to fund the two immigration agencies through a complex and lengthy process called budget reconciliation, a maneuver they also used last year to pass President Donald Trump’s tax-cut and spending agenda without any Democratic votes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said:
We face a multi-step process, but in the end, Republicans will have helped ensure America’s borders are secure and stopped Democrats from defunding these important agencies.
The budget process requires only a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing filibuster rules that require Republicans to get 60 votes on most bills despite holding just 53 seats.
The Senate held the first round of votes during a late-night vote-a-rama session, beginning Wednesday evening and continuing early Thursday morning.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said:
Instead of pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into ICE and the Border Patrol, Republicans should work with Democrats to cut out-of-pocket spending.
The Senate passed the final resolution 50-48 shortly after 3:30 a.m. ET.
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