Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) led a bicameral press conference on the Senate steps on May 21 to oppose a Republican spending bill they said would direct roughly $72 billion to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol while including “zero” affordability provisions.
The Senate is preparing to move the legislation through reconciliation, which allows passage on a simple majority with no Democratic support needed. The bill’s final text had not been released as of the press conference, with Republican leaders still negotiating internal disputes.
The package would direct about $38.2 billion to ICE and roughly $26 billion to Customs and Border Protection through fiscal year 2029, plus $2.5 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, $1.5 billion to the Department of Justice (DOJ), and $1 billion to the Secret Service for security related to the East Wing project, according to the text of the bill released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on May 4.
Schumer said the package would provide “$72 billion to ICE and border patrol without any guardrails,” and said the agencies are “already sitting” on billions. He said the bill contains “zero dollars to lower Americans’ costs,” citing what he said is an absence of provisions on health care, gas prices, housing, utilities, and groceries.
Schumer also criticized a Republican proposal to add about $1 billion in Secret Service funding tied to the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom.
Senate Republicans are also weighing parameters on a $1.78 billion “anti-weaponization” settlement fund tied to a Trump lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.
Trump brought the lawsuit after an IRS contractor leaked his tax returns. He agreed to drop the case in exchange for the government creating the fund, according to the DOJ. Democrats are expected to force amendment votes on the fund during the reconciliation process.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged “ongoing vote issues” as GOP leaders tried to measure Republican support on the bill, while Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Wednesday the bill would go “back to square one” without the security money due to a lack of votes.
Jeffries called the bill “reckless” and said taxpayer dollars “under no circumstances should be used to brutalize or kill American citizens or violently target law abiding immigrant families.”
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said the bill reflects misplaced priorities.
“There is enough money, apparently, for a ballroom. Apparently, there is enough money to quadruple the size of [ICE],” he said.
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) brought up the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by immigration agents during unrest in Minneapolis earlier this year. Clark said the bill would “funnel” billions to ICE while doing nothing for working families facing rising costs.
Most of the speakers discussed high prices at the pump for Americans, citing the highs in their respective states. AAA’s national gas price average had the figure at $4.56 per gallon as of May 21.
The White House has asked Americans to be patient as the conflict with Iran has driven up prices. Trump has also said he supports suspending the federal gas tax to help alleviate the pain at the pump as motorists contend with the higher prices.
Republicans turned to reconciliation after Senate Democrats blocked funding for ICE and Border Patrol through the regular appropriations process beginning in mid-February.
Democrats had demanded policy changes after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in Minnesota earlier this year. Congress passed bipartisan legislation to reopen the rest of the Department of Homeland Security on April 30 after a record-long partial government shutdown. Thune hopes to pass the legislation this week before the Memorial Day recess.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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