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On April 29, after holding the vote open for over five hours, House Republicans passed the Senate budget resolution along party lines, paving the way for the budget reconciliation process.  Last week, the Senate Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees released bill text proposing $71.7 billion in spending over three years. Most of the funds would go to ICE ($38.2 billion) and Customs and Border Protection ($26 billion). The bills also allocate $5 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, $1.5 billion to the Department of Justice for investigative activities, and $1 billion to the Secret Service for security upgrades to the under-construction White House ballroom.

Unlike annual appropriations, these bills do not include restrictions on how the funds may be spent, leaving the current and next Congress with limited oversight. Both committees aim to mark up the bills on May 19, which will involve a detailed review of procedural rules (the “Byrd bath”) to ensure provisions comply with budgetary regulations. Most funding is unlikely to be challenged, though the ballroom security allocation could face objections under the Byrd rule and from moderate House Republicans concerned about political optics.

Once reported out of committee, the Senate Budget Committee will combine the bills into an omnibus package. Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) hopes to bring the measure to the Senate floor next week, leaving a tight window for House approval before the June 1 presidential deadline.