House Republicans Plot Potential Third Reconciliation Package While Work Continues on $72 Billion Reconciliation Bill Funding ICE and CBP

By Kim Johnson, NLIHC Senior Director of Policy  

House Republicans held a closed-door meeting on May 12 to discuss the potential for enacting a third and final reconciliation bill before Congress adjourns for a month-long recess in August. This would be in addition to the second reconciliation bill currently being considered in the Senate that would provide nearly $72 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and “security adjustments and upgrades…to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project,” among other funding.   

Budget reconciliation is a special legislative procedure that allows bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes rather than the 60 votes usually required. When one party controls the House, Senate, and White House, reconciliation can be used to enact a bill into law without any support from the minority party. In exchange for this procedural leniency, the kind of provisions that can be included in a reconciliation bill is limited to those that change federal spending, revenues, and/or the federal debt limit; provisions that fall outside of these limits cannot be included, or they will be subjected to the usual 60-vote threshold for enactment. Republicans used reconciliation to enact H.R.1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” into law last year.   

It is not yet clear what specific policies would be included in a third reconciliation bill. Some House Republicans are calling for provisions to address the growing affordability crisis, while others are pushing for additional cuts to safety net programs that would help offset the costs of the second reconciliation bill. While the complex rules of reconciliation help protect HUD programs from spending cuts, many of the same families who receive assistance from other safety net programs also struggle with housing stability, and a reduction in assistance that helps families afford the cost of food, medical care, and other necessities will also impact their ability to afford the cost of rent.