Senate Republicans Pass Budget Resolution Laying Groundwork for Reconciliation Bill to Fund ICE and CBP
Apr 27, 2026
By Kim Johnson, NLIHC Senior Director of Policy
Senate Republicans passed by a vote of 50-48 a budget resolution on April 23 laying the groundwork for a reconciliation package that would provide an estimated $70 billion in additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Custom and Border Protection (CBP). The introduction of a budget resolution is the first step in passing a bill through reconciliation, a special legislative procedure that allows bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the 60 votes usually required. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rand Paul (R-KY) were the only two Republicans to vote against the resolution.
With control of the House, Senate, and White House, Republicans can use reconciliation to pass a bill without any support from Democrats. Last year, Republicans used reconciliation to pass H.R.1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which extended tax cuts and provided an additional $325 billion in spending on immigration enforcement and defense. To pay for these provisions, the bill cut over $1 trillion in funding for vital safety net programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; see Memo, 7/7/25).
The budget resolution, the first step in the reconciliation process, establishes which committees will be responsible for drafting legislative language for the reconciliation bill, and how much money committee members are allowed to spend – or expected to cut – in the bill. The resolution passed by Senate Republicans instructs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Homeland Security) Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee to draft legislative language allowing for $70 billion in spending by May 15; the House will need to adopt the same resolution before the bill can move forward, and any changes in the House would need to be voted on again in the Senate. The House Rules Committee is slated to consider the resolution today (April 27), with the goal of the full House passing the resolution as-is before the end of the week.
Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees will lead drafting the legislative language for the reconciliation bill and hope to hold a floor vote on the bill the week of May 11. Republicans are aiming to have the bill finalized and to the President’s desk by June 1.
Attempt to Add “SAVE Act” Provisions to Reconciliation Bill Fails
During the Senate vote, the budget resolution undergoes a process called “vote-a-rama,” during which Senators propose and vote on as many amendments to the resolution as they would like. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) proposed an amendment that would have added provisions from the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act” to the resolution, including establishing proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, and mandating photo identification to vote in person, among other provisions. The amendment was not adopted with a final vote of 48-50, and four Republicans—Senators Tom Tills (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Murkowski—joining Democrats to vote against the amendment. NLIHC and our partners in the nonpartisan Our Homes, Our Votes campaign strongly oppose the SAVE Act, which would create unnecessary barriers that suppress voter participation, especially among people with low incomes.
Senator Ernst Unveils “Anti-Fraud” Bill to Offset New Spending with Additional Safety Net Cuts
While the upcoming reconciliation bill is expected to be narrowly targeted to funding for ICE and CBP, some Republicans are calling for a third, final reconciliation bill this Congress that would include cuts to safety net programs to offset the proposed spending increase for ICE and CBP. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced on April 22 the “Protecting American Taxpayers Act,” a legislative package combining 17 bills with the stated goal of “[recovering] stolen funds, protecting taxpayer dollars, and stopping fraudsters” through rescinding unobligated funding from COVID-19-related programs, and imposing additional work reporting requirements on recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, among other proposals. HUD programs are not mentioned in the bill; however, many of the same families who receive TANF, Medicaid, and other assistance 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.
While it is not yet clear what would be included in a third reconciliation bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has pledged to move quickly to “reconciliation 3.0” after the second reconciliation bill is finished.