“The President could have done this on day one,” Rep. Brad Schneider (D, Ill.) posted on X. “Instead, he punished hard working TSA agents so he could protect his vile, violent, and lawless ICE and CBP policies.” Other lawmakers like Rep. Delia Ramirez (D, Ill.), Rep. Darren Soto (D, Fla.), and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D, Ore.) echoed similar sentiments.
Democrats had pushed to fund TSA and other DHS agencies separately, only to be rejected repeatedly by Republicans. On March 22, Trump had even said that Republicans should not agree to any deal without Democrats committing to the passage of his preferred voter ID law.But while the deal reached Friday is a concession to Democrats, ICE and CBP can still enjoy what’s left of a nearly $140 billion windfall from Trump’s major tax-spending and domestic policy megabill that was passed last year. And Thune on late Friday said there was a “good possibility” that further immigration enforcement funding could be achieved through a reconciliation bill.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R, Mo.) also warned Democrats about what the GOP can enact through reconciliation, Politico reported. “Be careful what you wish for,” Schmitt said. “The filibuster cannot save you,” Schmitt added, referencing the Senate tool that effectively raises the threshold for passing legislation and that Trump has tried to push Republicans to remove. “What’s coming next will supercharge deportations.”
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