The Reconciliation Package to Fund DHS from Senate Republicans Has Hit a Snag

The fight over funding the Department of Homeland Security is likely to go on a bit longer, as the Senate reconciliation package has encountered a procedural obstacle. It’s not related to the vote count. It’s the unelected Senate parliamentarian (via Politico):

NEW: The Senate parliamentarian has ruled against major sections of reconciliation bill funding ICE & CBP, per Budget Dems

Republicans can go back w/ new language

The rulings, per Budget Dems: pic.twitter.com/llOjfQYH1L

— Laura Weiss (@LauraEWeiss16) May 14, 2026

🚨 JUST IN: The unelected SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN has STRUCK DOWN major provisions of the GOP’s ICE-CBP reconciliation funding bill

This is RIDICULOUS!

The parliamentarian has been a HUGE roadblock, even playing games with the Big Beautiful Bill last year

Thune should’ve… pic.twitter.com/E1rQjP77Hl

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 15, 2026

The Senate parliamentarian ruled Thursday that major pieces of the GOP’s party-line immigration enforcement package do not comply with the chamber’s rules — a setback to Republicans racing to clear the bill this month.

The parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, found that four parts of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s portion of the legislation will need to be reworked — or risk Democrats forcing a floor vote on each provision that would be subject to a 60-vote threshold, according to a statement from Budget Committee Democrats Thursday night.

Republicans are now expected to try to rewrite the provisions to meet MacDonough’s approval, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose private strategy. They will need to work quickly if they are going to meet the June 1 deadline President Donald Trump has set for clearing the legislation, recognizing that the House will need time to pass the package as well.

Democrats immediately declared victory.

“This fight is just getting started,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, adding that Democrats will force Republicans “over and over to defend their real priority: Trump’s palace over your paycheck.”

But Ryan Wrasse, a spokesperson for Majority Leader John Thune, said the ruling simply will require “technical fixes that were not unexpected.”

It’s not the first time we’ve run into MacDonough, given the technical tweaks we had to resolve before we got the big, beautiful bill passed. 

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