The chair of the House Budget Committee said Wednesday that support for a reconciliation bill focused on immigration enforcement funding will hinge on whether Republicans believe a broader package can pass later this year.
"The question will be for our conference ... [do] they believe that we can do another reconciliation for fraud and defense and maybe some affordability issues?" said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, according to Politico. "If they believe we can do a third one, then people will support this quick and skinny reconciliation."
His comments come after the Senate on Tuesday voted 52-46 to advance a roughly $70 billion resolution from Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., launching a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down after Senate Democrats blocked GOP-backed funding measures that included Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
The Senate vote was the first step in a budget process that Republicans hope will unlock funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Reconciliation allows the Senate to bypass the filibuster if the legislation meets certain budgetary requirements. Congressional Republicans previously used reconciliation to pass President Donald Trump's package of tax cuts and funding measures.
But Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., wants to keep the bill narrowly focused, even as some GOP colleagues in both chambers are pressing to fold in a range of priorities. Those include provisions to pay federal employees during a government shutdown, extend the moratorium on federal funding for Planned Parenthood, provide aid to farmers and add the SAVE America Act, a voter identification measure championed by Trump.
Arrington will have to either take up the Senate version or pursue a different approach. He said if House Republicans do not believe the Senate will advance another package, there will be demands to expand the scope beyond DHS funding.
"If they feel like there's only one chance, they're going to want more," Arrington said. "I have an equal number of people saying, 'You know, do you really think we're going to get a third? Should we go ahead and just load it up with more reforms?'"
Arrington said he favors "whatever will work," adding he will not know until internal debates conclude.
Graham's resolution would fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years, through the rest of Trump's second term. Arrington credited Graham with initiating the effort.
"Chairman Graham is doing the right thing, for starting it off with skinny," Arrington said. "We have to do it based on getting the votes in the House. I think it's good that he's starting it the way he is."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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