Each week while Congress is in session, our Policy team delivers a key update to highlight a topical benefits, health, or retirement news item from the Hill, such as a newly introduced bill, a summary of a committee hearing, or another hot-button matter.
The partial government shutdown involving agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) was resolved on April 30 after Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law, a bill to fund most DHS agencies through September 30, 2026. The bill did not, however, include funding for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”). Instead, Congressional Republicans have been working on a budget reconciliation bill to fund those two agencies outside of the normal appropriations process. Under budget reconciliation, the majority party can pass a bill that meets certain procedural requirements through the Senate with a simple majority vote instead of needing to meet the 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster.
The House and Senate have been considering an immigration enforcement funding budget reconciliation bill that would provide approximately $72 billion in funding for ICE and CBP to fund the agencies through 2029. President Trump had set a June 1 goal for completion of the legislation, but a final Senate vote on the bill before Congress recessed for the Memorial Day holiday was delayed due to concerns about proposed Secret Service security funding tied to the East Wing ballroom renovation as well as concerns about a Trump administration $1.7 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to be administered by the Department of Justice. Last week, the Senate held various votes on amendments to the bill under the so-called “vote-a-rama” and then passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill in the early morning hours of June 5. The House will consider the legislation this week.
Meanwhile, some Congressional Republicans are continuing to call for action on a third budget reconciliation bill this year to include various health and other affordability issues. Earlier this year the House Republican Study Committee, the largest House Republican caucus, released a framework for a reconciliation bill focused on healthcare (e.g., allowing ACA subsidies to be contributed directly to individual health accounts), energy and housing reforms. Other Republicans have been calling for the inclusion of other policy priorities, including additional defense funding and tackling waste, fraud and abuse. However, at this time, it is unclear if there will be enough Republican consensus and support for a new budget resolution and third budget reconciliation bill, particularly in light of the delays in passing the ICE and CBP funding reconciliation bill.
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