U.S. Senate Republicans have passed a resolution to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a first step toward ending a months-long standoff sparked by opposition to President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations.
Hours of debate gave way to a vote on the resolution early Thursday, with Republicans, who hold a slim 53-47 majority in the chamber, using tactics that would allow them to proceed with a simple majority rather than exceeding the 60-vote threshold.
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In the end, 50 Republicans voted in favor, but two joined Democrats in voting against the resolution.
Still, Thursday’s vote was far from a final decision on the issue. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives must pass its own resolution.
Both the House and Senate committees will then have to craft the actual funding bill, which will be voted on again.
President Trump has said he wants to have the funding bill on the table by June 1.
How did we get here?
In January, two American citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti, were shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking criticism of President Trump’s hard-line immigration policy.
Democrats, who were under growing criticism of President Trump’s inaction during his second term, stalled a pending bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE.
Many pointed out that the department and ICE already received huge discretionary profits under the Republican-backed tax bill passed last year.
The move was a risky gamble and had several ramifications, including a virtual shutdown of DHS and a staffing shortage at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that disrupted airport traffic.
President Trump has since signed an executive order to pay TSA employees, temporarily easing the problem, but officials have warned they are facing a funding cliff.
Still, Democrats are largely betting that being seen as supporting President Trump’s immigration policies, which are increasingly unpopular with Americans, is more politically harmful than being held accountable for the 68-day government shutdown.
How were Senate Republicans able to pass the resolution?
The Republican resolution effectively authorizes a Senate committee to increase the federal deficit by about $140 billion to fund ICE and Border Patrol. But Republican leaders say the final bill will likely total $70 billion to fund both agencies for 3 1/2 years.
Normally, the minority party in the Senate can use the so-called filibuster to block legislation. A party needs 60 votes to get past the filibuster.
As Democrats strengthen their opposition, Republicans are instead pursuing a complex process known as “budget reconciliation.”
A simple majority is all that is needed to pass reconciliation funds, but this is typically a cumbersome, multi-step process that consumes time that could be spent on other bills, among other drawbacks.
Senate rules limit consideration of budget resolutions to 50 hours, which lawmakers reached just before passing the bill early Thursday morning.
What is “Vote-A-Rama”?
While Republican tactics neutralized Democrats’ ability to filibuster resolutions, the minority party still used other tactics to delay final votes and force Republicans to take positions on potentially politically fractious issues.
After 50 hours of debate, Democrats held a so-called “vote-a-rama,” introducing a rapid succession of often symbolic amendments that were quickly voted on.
Ahead of the early morning action, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans would use Vote-a-Rama to portray themselves as out of touch with affordability concerns, a key issue heading into November’s midterm elections.
“This is going to be a reconciliation of contrasts, and we’re enjoying that fight,” Schumer said. “Republicans want to funnel billions to Donald Trump’s private army without common sense restraint or reform. Democrats want to cut costs and put money in people’s pockets.”
Three Republican senators have left the party in support of amendments aimed at addressing high rates of late payment and claim denials by health insurance companies, underscoring the gravity of the issue for those facing a punitive redistricting campaign.
Three Republicans also supported an amendment introduced by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders to lower prescription drug prices.
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. John Kennedy sought to lay the groundwork for a final funding bill to include the Trump-backed Save America Act, which supporters say will make elections more secure and critics say will disenfranchise millions of voters.
The push failed, with four Republicans voting against it, including the Kennedy amendment.
What comes next?
The resolution passed by Senate Republicans is essentially a set of instructions to committees to develop the final funding bill. House Republicans could change the content of those instructions and require members of both chambers to mediate their differences.
Once both sides approve the parameters, the real work to develop the final law begins. The final result would be an additional 50 hours of debate process and the possibility of yet another “vote”.
Once both chambers pass the final bill, it will be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Republicans have said they hope to move forward with a final bill by next month.
