In the wee hours of Thursday morning, after an overnight “vote-a-rama,” the Senate adopted a budget resolution that included funding for ICE and Border Protection. The 50-48 vote paves the way for a filibuster-proof budget reconciliation bill, the first step in ending the 10-week shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Under the plan, ICE and the Border Patrol would be funded through reconciliation, while the rest of the department would be funded through the regular FY’26 appropriations bill that was passed by the Senate and is pending in the House. Republican Senators Paul and Murkowski voted against the resolution along with all Democrats. The resolution (S Con Res 33) calls on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Judiciary Committee to write reconciliation legislation by May 15 that would provide up to $140 billion in funding for ICE and Border Patrol.

To pull back on the process a little more, a budget resolution tells (via instructions) a committee or committees to find a certain level of funds or cuts. Then the Committee(s) write to these instructions, which will become the reconciliation bill. The reconciliation bill will be able to be passed by a simple majority in the Senate. But for the Senate version to become law, the House will need to pass this exact reconciliation bill (with no changes). And there are many rumblings from members of the House that they want to add additional pieces to this bill.

If you’d like to stay up to date as this process unfolds, be sure to join our PriorityONE briefings on Thursdays!