Senate GOP rams through blueprint to bankroll ICE, Border Patrol through end of Trump era
The Senate is another step closer to funding immigration operations in the country after grinding through a marathon vote series that lasted until the wee hours of Thursday morning.Senate Republicans...
By Fox News · Fox News
The Senate is another step closer to funding immigration operations in the country after grinding through a marathon vote series that lasted until the wee hours of Thursday morning. Senate Republicans adopted their budget resolution, which tees up funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, and cuts congressional Democrats out of the process entirely. It’s the first major component of unlocking the budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are diving into once again after Democrats refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without stringent reforms. Despite Republicans largely being on the same page on the approach, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against the budget blueprint. SENATE GOP LAUNCHES ALL-NIGHT VOTE-A-RAMA TO FUND ICE, BORDER PATROL THROUGH END OF TRUMP'S TERM Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., panned Republicans for planning to spend billions in taxpayer dollars rather than addressing rising costs. "America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you're here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country," Schumer said. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., countered that ICE and Border patrol agents weren't the problem, "Democrats are." "Today’s Democrats are a rogue and radical party," Barrasso said. "You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking. You deserve the tools and support from Congress necessary to carry out the mission Congress has given you. Our country depends on you." SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS DIVISIONS SIMMER The Senate GOP’s plan would fund both agencies for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term. Republicans want to front-load the agencies with over $70 billion out of concern that Democrats would never agree to allocate taxpayer dollars to them again. Lawmakers dashed through amendment…