Republicans face a critical moment on border funding as splits complicate progress.

John Thune Criticizes Democrats’ Push to Halt DHS

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has accused Democrats of using political tactics regarding the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He underscored that the Senate has already passed a bill to finance a majority of government agencies. Additionally, he referenced President Donald Trump’s remarks concerning increasing gas prices.

The ongoing tactic of pushing bills through Congress, essentially bypassing the Senate filibuster, has become a strategy for Republican legislative goals this year. With Democrats unwilling to fund immigration programs, Republicans are gearing up for another budget reconciliation package. The real obstacle, perhaps, lies in drafting legislation that garners sufficient Republican support to meet the stringent requirements of this process.

Last year, Republicans utilized a similar tactic to approve Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Reconciliation is a lengthy and demanding legislative approach that risks failure if the House and Senate cannot reach a consensus on key elements.

Senate Moves to Fund the DHS Following House GOP Compromise

As Congress approaches a resolution to the continuing DHS shutdown, Trump has publicly endorsed using reconciliation to navigate around Democrats’ hesitance to fund agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The President has encouraged Republicans to advance the bill by June 1, stating, “We’re going to act as swiftly and intensively as possible to fund Border Patrol and ICE agents, and the radical left Democrats won’t thwart us.”

Despite the passage of the “Big and Beautiful Bill,” Republicans have viewed this situation as a chance to address issues such as fraud, affordability, Trump’s customs authority, and various other policy matters.

Funding Struggles: Republicans Navigate the DHS Shutdown

Thune cautioned that Republicans need to be “realistic” about their expectations, especially regarding the reconciliation process’s tight timeline. “Our approach was to keep it as narrow as possible to maximize our speed and support,” he mentioned. “While there may be attempts to include additional items, the urgency for these measures implies we might need to focus on a single issue.”

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham has brought up potential reconciliation proposals that might alleviate the burden of trying to include too many Republican priorities in one large bill. He expressed the desire to expedite funding for ICE and Border Patrol while also foreseeing future battles over related legislation.

Earlier in the year, House Republicans had been prepping for a “reconciliation 2.0,” but the complexity of integrating multiple time-consuming provisions could hinder its chances in the Senate. The Republican Study Committee is keen on pushing for a second reconciliation bill while ensuring military and homeland security funding is prioritized.

Additionally, some lawmakers are advocating for the Protection of American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) to be part of this discussion. However, with the strong opposition from Democrats, the chances of passing such measures in the Senate seem slim, given its strict reconciliation rules.

Senator Roger Marshall suggested, “Perhaps we should reconsider our ambitions for this reconciliation bill. Securing funding for ICE over ten years could be our main goal. Adding the SAVE Act seems impractical.” Some House Republicans acknowledged the difficulties in maintaining the integrity of the SAVE Act while still ensuring it could pass the Senate.