US Senate Passes Resolution on ICE Funding After Vote-A-Rama Session

US Senate Passes Resolution Funding Immigration Enforcement Agencies

A resolution to fund US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was passed by the Republican-controlled US Senate on Thursday. The measure, which requires a simple majority vote, marks the first step in resolving the months-long standoff over funding for these agencies.

The resolution was approved with 50 Republicans voting in favor and two breaking ranks to join Democrats in opposition. Despite this, the vote does not signal the end of the process. The US House of Representatives must also pass its own resolution, followed by committees in both the Senate and House crafting the actual funding legislation.

President Donald Trump has set a June 1 deadline for the funding bill to reach his desk. The measure is expected to increase the federal government deficit by approximately $140 billion to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three and a half years.

The resolution was passed using a budget reconciliation process, which allows for passage with a simple majority rather than requiring 60 votes. This process has been criticized for being cumbersome and time-consuming.

In January, two US citizens were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking widespread condemnation of Trump’s immigration policies. Democrats had previously blocked legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE.

The Republican resolution was introduced after hours of debate, with lawmakers reaching a 50-hour limit on discussion before voting on the measure. Prior to the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats would use a “vote-a-rama” tactic to introduce rapid-fire amendments and portray Republicans as out of touch with citizens’ affordability concerns ahead of the midterm elections in November.

The resolution now moves to the US House of Representatives for consideration, followed by further debate and voting in both chambers.

Source: Al Jazeera