By Anietie anii-bassey
The Senate voted Tuesday to begin a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security and end what has become the longest partial government shutdown in American history.
Lawmakers approved the first step in the process by a 52-46 vote, allowing Republicans to move forward with a budget maneuver designed to provide new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Border Patrol.
Democrats have blocked funding for the two immigration agencies since mid-February, arguing that reforms are needed after federal agents fatally shot two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during unrest in Minneapolis earlier this year. Since then, negotiations between the two parties have repeatedly broken down, leaving large parts of the department without a long-term funding solution.
Republicans are now turning to the budget reconciliation process, which allows legislation to pass with a simple majority in the Senate rather than the 60 votes normally required to overcome a filibuster. Republicans currently hold 53 seats, making reconciliation one of the few ways they can move the measure forward without Democratic support. It is the same process they used last year to pass President Donald Trump’s tax and spending package.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans had little choice but to proceed on their own after months of failed negotiations.
The Senate Budget Committee released a proposal Tuesday that would provide an estimated $70 billion in funding for ICE and Border Patrol over the next three years, covering the remainder of Trump’s term in office. Republican leaders have said they want to keep the legislation narrowly focused and move it through Congress by the end of April.
However, some Republicans are already pushing to attach other priorities to the bill. Among the proposals being discussed are aid for farmers and the SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed voting measure that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
John Kennedy said he intends to offer amendments tied to both election law and the economy, arguing that inflation and living costs remain a top concern for voters.
Still, many Republican senators appear wary of expanding the measure too much, fearing that adding unrelated items could slow the process and make it harder to pass. Ron Johnson said Republican lawmakers generally understand the need to move quickly, warning that every additional proposal risks delaying the legislation.
Democrats continue to insist that any Homeland Security funding package must include stricter oversight of immigration authorities. They are calling for more use of judicial warrants, clearer identification requirements for federal officers and other accountability measures.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the Republican plan as a “partisan sideshow,” saying it would pour billions more into immigration enforcement without limiting what he called “rogue agencies’ rampant violence in our streets.”
Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said public anger over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti had created a clear demand for reform.
“After the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, people across the country demanded ICE be reined in,” Murray said. “But instead of working with Democrats to enact real reform, Republicans rejected the most basic accountability measures, and now they’re rushing to give ICE billions of dollars more.”
The broader Department of Homeland Security funding battle has already stretched for more than two months. In March, the Senate passed legislation to fund the rest of the department, including the Transportation Security Administration, while leaving ICE and Border Patrol out of the bill.
But House Republicans refused to bring that measure forward, insisting that any funding package must also include immigration enforcement agencies.
As the stalemate continues, officials warn that the consequences are becoming more severe. Homeland Security leaders say emergency funds used to pay TSA employees and other personnel may run out by early May. More than 500 TSA officers have reportedly resigned since the shutdown began, and some airport security lines have already stretched to several hours.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republican leaders are still working through the details of the Senate proposal and remain confident they can eventually unite the party behind a final package.
“We’ll figure this out,” Johnson said Tuesday. “We’ve got lots of discussion today and in the coming days to make sure we can get that through and I think we will.”
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