Senate GOP Pushes $70B for ICE, Border Patrol

0:00It's April 23rd. Welcome in. This is US News Today, where national headlines meet AI. Senate Republicans just took a big swing and ending part of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, voting early Thursday to advance a budget. Plan that pumps $70 billion into ICE and border patrol for the next three years. This comes after the whole department shutdown in mid-February, and they're using budget reconciliation to sidestep Democrat blocks and the usual. 60-vote filibuster hurdle. The shutdown kicked off when Democrats demanded big changes to immigration enforcement, following fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents. Back in January, Republicans fired back, saying they won't let Dems defund border security. And this reconciliation trick is the same one they used last year for. Trump's tax cuts, no Democrat votes needed. Leaders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune held it as a win for secure borders. Not Chuck Schumer, slam Republicans for ignoring health care.

1:02Costs and everyday expenses. All my votes saw Dems push amendments on those issues, but the focus stayed laser sharp on immigration agencies, even as airport security lines. Drag on without full TSA funding. Now the plan heads to the House for approval, but some GOP members, like Senator John Kennedy, want to pile on extras like farmaid or Trump's voting. Citizenship bill before mid-terms hit. House Speaker Mike Johnson insists on sequencing, no full department cash without ice and border patrol, locked in first. With the Senate parliamentarians still reviewing and amendments looming, this could stretch out, but Republicans aim to get it all to Trump's desk by. Months end, finally patching up the shutdown and keeping those borders tight.