Senate Republicans Pass Budget Resolution to Initiate Reconciliation Process for DHS Funding

By Barbara Sprunt

*Published: 2026-04-23*


*Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images*

Senate Republicans passed a budget resolution on Tuesday by a 50-48 vote, directing committees to draft legislation that would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) amid a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The vote followed a vote-a-rama and saw Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska join all Democrats in opposition.

Congressional Democrats have stated they will not support funding for ICE and CBP without reforms to agency practices. Their position follows incidents earlier this year in which two U.S. citizens died during encounters with federal agents. The circumstances of the deaths are disputed. In one case involving Renée Good, the Trump administration described her actions as "weaponizing her SUV" and posing a threat to agents, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected that description as inaccurate after reviewing video footage from the enforcement operation.

Republicans are employing the budget reconciliation process to advance funding for the affected DHS agencies without Democratic votes. The Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., unveiled the resolution on Tuesday, and it passed later that day.

The resolution instructs the Judiciary Committee and Homeland Security Committee each to produce legislation that would increase the federal deficit by up to $70 billion. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., indicated the combined total would be $70 billion, sufficient to fund the agencies for 3.5 years. President Trump has set a June 1 deadline for passage of the resulting bill.

Reconciliation is a multi-step process that can extend over weeks or months. The following outlines its key elements.

What is Reconciliation?

Legislation generally requires passage by simple majorities in both chambers of Congress: at least 218 votes in the 435-member House of Representatives and 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to overcome potential filibusters. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats.

Budget reconciliation, established under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, enables the Senate to pass certain fiscal measures with a simple majority of 51 votes. It applies to provisions that adjust revenues, mandatory spending or the debt limit, but not discretionary spending.

The process was first used in 1980 for fiscal year 1981 adjustments and has become more common in recent decades amid partisan divisions. Liam Donovan, a political strategist who previously worked as a staffer for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and maintains GOP-aligned consulting ties, told NPR: "It's become the preferred tool over the past 25 years in this modern, partisan political era."

Both parties have employed it recently. Republicans used reconciliation for 2017 tax cuts and, more recently, President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." Democrats applied it for elements of then-President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief package and the Inflation Reduction Act.

How Does the Process Work?

Reconciliation unfolds in two main stages.

First, Congress adopts a budget resolution that provides instructions to specific committees. For instance, it might direct the Armed Services Committee to propose changes within its jurisdiction that increase or decrease the deficit by a designated amount.

Committees then draft conforming legislation. The Budget Committees compile these into a single omnibus bill for floor consideration in the House and Senate.

If the chambers pass differing versions, a conference committee or informal negotiations resolve discrepancies.

What Are Vote-a-Ramas?

Vote-a-ramas occur in the Senate after debate concludes on a reconciliation measure. Senators propose amendments in sequence, often for hours or days, until exhaustion or agreement halts the process. There are typically two: one on the initial budget resolution (with limited impact) and a more significant one on the final compiled bill.

These sessions allow the minority party to force votes on amendments and raise "budget points of order" against non-compliant provisions. As Donovan noted: "The amendments that happen in the final legislative package are really important — you're playing with live ammunition when you're on that final stage of reconciliation."

What Limits Reconciliation?

Several restrictions apply. It cannot address discretionary spending, which requires annual appropriations.

The Byrd Rule, named for former Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., further constrains the process. It permits any senator to raise a point of order against "extraneous" provisions lacking direct budgetary effects. The Senate parliamentarian advises the presiding officer on rulings.

Provisions may be struck if they:

• Do not change spending or revenues;
• Affect Social Security;
• Increase the deficit beyond the budget window (typically 10 years); or
• Are merely incidental to budgetary changes.

This ensures reconciliation focuses on fiscal matters: federal outlays and revenues.

The resolution's passage marks the initial phase, with committees now tasked to report legislation by deadlines set in the document. House Republicans must also adopt a parallel resolution for the process to proceed fully.

This story is adapted from an earlier NPR article on the reconciliation process.

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