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It’s looking like we may see ICE and CBP funded by a separate bill from the rest of the Department of Homeland Security after more than a month of obstruction from Senate Democrats. That bill could become the next Big Beautiful Bill.
It will have to be passed through the Senate by Republicans using budget reconciliation, which means they won’t require Democratic support to clear a 60-vote threshold and overcome the filibuster. That means the GOP could include more fiscal policy in the bill that Democrats won’t support.
According to political strategist Vlad Davidiuk: “Democrats cannot be trusted as governing partners. They’re unwilling to negotiate, they’re blocking anything that’s led by Republicans—even if it’s reasonable.” That’s why he thinks Republicans should once again sidestep them and pass this bill without Democratic support, just like they did with the first Big Beautiful Bill last year.
If Republicans do take this approach, Davidiuk says there’s a lot they can get done. “We need to do things like tax relief continuity, Trump-era tax cuts permanently extended, we need to have fiscal responsibility, and controls on long-term Medicaid spending growth,” he explained.
He did point out that Republicans will not be able to use this to force through the SAVE Act, but he says it could clear the way for the SAVE Act by leaving the GOP to-do list empty.