Senate Backs $70 Billion Border Funding Plan
Senate Republicans voted to give $70 billion to border agencies. The vote was 50 to 48 on Thursday morning.
The money would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. It would cover the next three years through the end of Trump's term.
Republicans used a process called budget reconciliation to pass it. This process does not need support from the other party.
Two Republicans voted against it. Funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security ran out nine weeks ago.
That gap made new funding urgent. Democrats had asked for new rules on how agents operate.
They wanted body cameras and warrants before agents enter private homes. Those demands came after agents fatally shot two United States citizens in Minneapolis.
The Republican plan does not include any of those rules. The plan still needs to pass the House before it becomes law.
Key Terms 5
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement US agency that enforces immigration laws inside the country
- Border Patrol US agency that guards the country's borders
- budget reconciliation A process that lets one party pass spending bills alone
- Department of Homeland Security US government department that handles border and national safety
- warrant A legal document giving officials permission to enter a home