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Posted on 02/10/2026 5:21:39 AM PST by 11th_VA
On February 2, Congress approved full-year appropriations for nearly every major federal agency, except the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is temporarily funded until February 13. Following the tragic shootings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, Democrats have threatened to block full-year funding for the DHS unless Republicans agree to restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement …
Traditionally, defense, immigration, and border control agencies are funded through discretionary appropriations—an annual process in which Congress is supposed to reassess and adjust overall funding levels for roughly one-fourth of all government spending. Because Congress must affirmatively approve this category of spending every year, the appropriations process forces legislators to compromise.
Republicans changed the usual calculus last year when they passed the OBBBA on a party-line basis, which provided roughly $300 billion in new defense and immigration-related budget authority on top of the discretionary budget. Under the OBBBA, ICE received roughly $75 billion in new budget authority—seven times ICE’s typical annual budget of $10 billion. These funds remain available to the current administration whether Congress passes an annual budget or not...
Because of the OBBBA, ICE and CBP no longer need annual Congressional budget approval. Funds are already available, with significant multi-year flexibility. The shutdown last fall made it clear that the administration can continue and expand ICE and CBP operations, all without the approval of Congressional appropriators.
The Minority Party Becomes Weaker
If Democrats reject the DHS funding bill and there is another partial government shutdown, ICE and CBP aren’t likely to face a significant funding constraint. They already have excess budget authority available from the OBBBA. In addition, many of their employees are deemed “essential,” meaning they can continue to operate in the event of a government shutdown. The same applies to many other DHS agencies, such as the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Nevertheless, the Coast Guard, TSA, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other DHS agencies appear more likely to be affected by another shutdown than ICE and CBP. That is because OBBBA’s immigration-related spending is primarily earmarked for ICE and CBP, rather than a blank check for the entire DHS.
The fundamental problem here is that both Democrats and Republicans have tacitly agreed that budget reconciliation—a special process to bypass the Senate filibuster that only requires a simple majority—should be used to fund partisan policy priorities and expand the deficit.
During and after the pandemic, Democrats used the process to pass the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act, which included stimulus checks and green energy subsidies. Republicans used the process to pass the OBBBA, which included tax cuts, health care reforms, and defense and immigration-related spending increases. Both parties are guilty of using this procedural workaround to bypass the compromise-driven process inherent with normal appropriations.
Now that Republicans have chosen to fund ICE and CBP through reconciliation, what stops a future Democratic Congress from using reconciliation to double the Department of Education’s budget or quadruple Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding?
Expect future Congresses to similarly abuse this process to supplement appropriations, bypass tradeoffs, and undermine Congressional oversight...
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Pretty smart wouldn’t you say? Is the military covered?
Military was not covered - that’s why we need a three year OBBB for the whole of Government - only works when you control WH, Senate, and House
If reconciliation is the new norm, then why do they still have the filibuster other than as an excuse to get nothing done?
Tariffs are collected and on deposit. Tariffs are non appropriated funds and will fund DHS
Re: Tarriifs - Awesome news
No leftmedia bias here. /spit
I saw that - but overall I think the article was good. Trump needs a three year bill while we have the power …. There will be no negotiations next year if we lose the House
There was nothing tragic about. It was like taking a selfie on the edge of a cliff at Grand Canyon. Selfies do have consequences. Real life is not an old 60s movie. Things happen when you screw up and they are permanent. Idiots.
Just imagine what an annual budget might do to stabilize the federal government. That used to be a thing. Not so much today - fewer opportunities to rush to a camera and microphone bank.
Because the goal for the last 60 years has been to get nothing done.
To me, it is tragic when someone loses their life but, in these cases, they died largely due to their own stupidity.
At least they didn't write: Following the tragic murders of Alex Pretti and Renée Good,
Congress is broken and has been for decades.
“Tragic means involving great suffering, loss, or sorrow—especially when the outcome feels devastating or unavoidable.“ (From the definition of tragic.)
In both cases, the outcome was completely avoidable.
If the protesters followed the rules and did not interfere or resist, then they would be alive today.
It is incredibly simple.
Unfortunately.
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