Let's talk about the GOP caving on DHS funding.... - Belle of the Ranch

[TexasTowelie]

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about the GOP caving on DHS funding.

This little event that might be overshadowed by Trump's address is definitely worth noting. In fact, some cynical people might even suggest this announcement was time to coincide with the speech or vice versa to knock yet another Republican legislative failure off the front pages.

House Republicans have apparently agreed to move forward with the plan of funding all of DHS except ICE and Border Patrol until negotiations can happen. They're framing it differently and saying they'll try to use another budget reconciliation package to take care of immigration funding without Democrats. But the fact is that they are moving forward with funding everything except those agencies.

A joint statement from Senate Majority Leader Thune and Speaker of the House Johnson said, "In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President's directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks. Through the appropriations process and through the reconciliation process."

If you think that sounds like Republicans just caved and Democrats won a budget shutdown fight, you're not the only one. The idea of funding everything except immigration forces was something Republicans flatly rejected just a few days ago.

Thune and Johnson's statement tried to explain the new reasoning. "In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law enforcement activities can continue uninhibited."

Chuck Schumer, who has been under fire lately for not taking a hardline approach, took to social media to celebrate. "For days, Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction. Throughout this fight, Senate Democrats never wavered. We were clear from the start. Fund critical security, protect Americans, and no blank check for reckless ICE and Border Patrol enforcement. We were united, held the line, and refused to let Republican chaos win.”

Schumer winning a shutdown fight wasn't on many people's list of expected events. Now, to the nitty-gritty details.

Can Republicans actually pull this off and fund ICE without reforms via a budget reconciliation process? Yes, it's possible. But the budget reconciliation process isn't simple. There will be an explainer below and they tend to take time. Time in which negotiations could end up already being completed. To give you an idea of how long they take, the last budget reconciliation package that got pushed through was the one big beautiful for billionaires package. It took from February until July. They could move it faster if they were united, but they probably won't be.

Every little hangup provides more chances for GOP cohesiveness to break down. And in the run-up to a midterm election under a president with a failing economy, unpopular war, and rising gas prices, there might be Republicans who know they need something to show their voters. They may try to add things that will end up slowing down the process. Either way, Democrats scored another win. And this one looks to be primarily Schumer's doing.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.