Wyoming Sen.-elect Harriet Hageman is calling on Republicans to use their final weeks in control of Congress to protect immigration enforcement funding, preserve foreign aid cuts and prevent incoming Democratic majorities from reversing President Donald Trump’s policies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen.-elect Harriet Hageman of Wyoming is urging congressional Republicans to pass another major budget reconciliation package before Democrats assume control of the House and Senate in January, seeking to preserve President Donald Trump’s spending priorities and restrict the incoming majorities’ ability to reverse his policies.
Hageman, who won Wyoming’s U.S. Senate election Tuesday, Nov. 3, outlined the strategy during a Thursday interview on the Just the News, No Noise television program. She called for multiyear funding provisions protecting federal agencies and programs that Democrats have indicated they intend to reduce, restructure or investigate.
“I think we ought to do another reconciliation package and fund some of these programs and agencies that we know that the Democrats are going to target,” Hageman said, according to Just the News’ Nov. 5 report.
“We did it with reconciliation for the Department of Homeland Security just this summer. So yes, we have the ability to do that,” she continued. “We need to target those agencies that we know that the Democrats are going to target from the standpoint of trying to either destroy them, undermine them or fundamentally change where they go.”
The proposal would build on Republican legislation enacted earlier in 2026 that provided funding for the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda, including Department of Homeland Security operations.
Hageman argued that Republicans should apply a similar approach to the Justice Department, FBI, border security programs and foreign aid reductions implemented during Trump’s second term.
She specifically identified spending cuts associated with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Government Efficiency, previously led by Elon Musk.
“We need to make sure that the cutting of those programs stays permanent,” Hageman said. “We need to make sure that the DOJ work is permanent. … Those are exactly the kinds of things that we need to use reconciliation for. That’s what it is for: to make sure that we have implemented our budget priorities for the benefit of the American people.”
The proposal comes after Democrats won both congressional chambers in Tuesday’s midterm elections, giving them control of committee leadership, legislative schedules and federal spending negotiations beginning Jan. 3, 2027.
Democratic lawmakers have indicated they intend to examine immigration enforcement spending, restore portions of foreign assistance funding and investigate the administration’s management of federal agencies.
Budget reconciliation offers Republicans a potential procedural advantage during the remaining weeks of the current Congress.
Unlike most Senate legislation, which generally requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, qualifying reconciliation measures can pass with a simple majority.
However, reconciliation legislation must satisfy congressional budget rules, including restrictions on provisions whose budgetary effects are considered incidental to broader policy objectives. The procedure also requires the necessary budget instructions and approval from both chambers.
Hageman’s proposal would therefore require Republican leaders to assemble legislation capable of passing before their congressional majorities expire.
If enacted, multiyear funding provisions could complicate Democratic attempts to redirect spending. Reversing those provisions through legislation would still require overcoming a possible presidential veto.
Trump has already indicated that he intends to use his veto authority against legislation he opposes during the final two years of his presidency.
Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a threshold Democrats cannot reach without substantial Republican support.
Hageman also urged the Senate to consider five Congressional Review Act resolutions targeting California regulations that she argued have consequences beyond the state.
“That is very important,” she said. “So I do think that the Senate should step forward right now and do that. There are many things we could do without even getting rid of the filibuster.”
The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to overturn qualifying federal agency rules through expedited procedures. Its application to the California-related measures would depend on the specific federal actions involved and applicable statutory requirements.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., endorsed Hageman’s proposal during the same television program, urging Republicans to continue working until the new Congress convenes.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Fine said. “Look, I’m going back to D.C. tomorrow. I’m happy to stay there around the clock until Jan. 3 to get the job done for the American people.”
Fine also criticized congressional Republicans’ legislative performance, arguing that the party’s failure to advance several priorities contributed to its election losses.
“Part of the reason we lost the majority is voters didn’t think we worked that hard,” he said. “They saw the Senate not even trying to pass the Save America Act, and they said, ‘What’s the point in having them?’ Well, we’ve got two months left, and we should use every minute to the maximum advantage that we have.”
The Republican push would take place against an existing government funding deadline.
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, current federal funding is scheduled to expire Dec. 11, and Congress has yet to complete its fiscal year 2027 appropriations process.
The organization has cautioned lawmakers against using the lame-duck session to approve additional spending or tax reductions without addressing their effects on federal deficits.
Hageman’s election to the Senate was confirmed by the Associated Press. She will succeed retiring Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis, while Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray won the election to replace Hageman in the House.
In a Nov. 4 statement discussing her transition to the Senate, Hageman pledged to continue efforts to reduce federal regulation, protect Wyoming’s energy industry and strengthen congressional authority over executive agencies.
Her proposed reconciliation strategy reflects a broader Republican effort to preserve legislative accomplishments before the party loses control of Congress.
Whether Republican leaders pursue another reconciliation measure remains uncertain, but Hageman and Fine are pressing for immediate action rather than allowing the remaining congressional session to end without additional legislation.
With Democrats preparing to reverse several administration policies in January, Republicans face a limited opportunity to establish spending commitments that could remain in place through the remainder of Trump’s presidency.
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