Senate Passes Funding Package, Diverts Billions from ICE to Medicaid in Bypartisan Vote
Two Republican Senators have defected from their party, joining Democrats in a narrow vote to divert billions of dollars in funding from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Medicaid. The measure, championed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, ultimately failed 49-51 as the Senate advanced a broader funding plan.
The vote comes amid growing bipartisan discontent with ICE's funding trajectory and tactics. Recent fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis have sparked outrage, and calls for new guardrails at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have also pressed for Secretary Kristi Noem's resignation or impeachment.
Despite the setback, Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office declined to comment on the vote. The Senate approved a funding package 71-29, but the deal excludes the DHS appropriations bill in favor of a two-week continuing resolution at current DHS levels to allow negotiations on reform.
Under the amendment that was proposed, $75 billion in funding for ICE would have been repealed and redirected to Medicaid. However, with no further action expected from Congress before the weekend, funding for affected agencies will lapse briefly over the weekend.
The move reflects a shift in priorities among lawmakers as they grapple with immigration enforcement issues. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine voted with their Democratic colleagues on the amendment, sending a message that bipartisan cooperation is possible on certain key issues.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to lash out at his critics, claiming that Democrats are "stealing Billions of Dollars" from Minnesota and other cities. His comments have sparked debate over the role of politics in immigration policy.
As Congress returns Monday to consider the Senate-passed package, lawmakers will face a critical test of their ability to put aside partisan differences and address pressing issues like immigration reform.
Two Republican Senators have defected from their party, joining Democrats in a narrow vote to divert billions of dollars in funding from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Medicaid. The measure, championed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, ultimately failed 49-51 as the Senate advanced a broader funding plan.
The vote comes amid growing bipartisan discontent with ICE's funding trajectory and tactics. Recent fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis have sparked outrage, and calls for new guardrails at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have also pressed for Secretary Kristi Noem's resignation or impeachment.
Despite the setback, Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office declined to comment on the vote. The Senate approved a funding package 71-29, but the deal excludes the DHS appropriations bill in favor of a two-week continuing resolution at current DHS levels to allow negotiations on reform.
Under the amendment that was proposed, $75 billion in funding for ICE would have been repealed and redirected to Medicaid. However, with no further action expected from Congress before the weekend, funding for affected agencies will lapse briefly over the weekend.
The move reflects a shift in priorities among lawmakers as they grapple with immigration enforcement issues. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine voted with their Democratic colleagues on the amendment, sending a message that bipartisan cooperation is possible on certain key issues.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to lash out at his critics, claiming that Democrats are "stealing Billions of Dollars" from Minnesota and other cities. His comments have sparked debate over the role of politics in immigration policy.
As Congress returns Monday to consider the Senate-passed package, lawmakers will face a critical test of their ability to put aside partisan differences and address pressing issues like immigration reform.
. Just when you think politicians are going to work together on something, they find a way to bicker and block progress. Like what's the point of even having an independent Senator if he's just gonna get ignored like that? 
And don't even get me started on Trump's Twitter tantrums... can't he just have a real conversation instead of resorting to divisive rhetoric? 
Anyway, I'm not surprised ICE got the shaft. It's been pretty clear for years they're more interested in playing politics than doing their job effectively. 
did you know that some ppl make their beds as soon as they get up? my mom says it's so she can start the day feeling organized 
i dont know about that but idk... how does politics work again? like, why cant we just agree on stuff? 
anyway back to this funding package thingy... its kinda weird that 2 republicans voted with the democrats 
guess they wanted ice funding gone lol or maybe they just really like medicaid? 
It seems like such a simple thing, but I guess when you're dealing with billions of dollars and people's lives, it gets complicated pretty quickly 
. It's crazy to think that $75 billion could be diverted from ICE to Medicaid, it just highlights the difference between what the politicians say and what they actually do 
70% of Americans are on board with diverting funds from ICE to Medicaid - it's about time we prioritize the welfare of our citizens over border control 
. The fact that 2 Republican Senators defected from their party shows that even moderate Republicans can come together on an issue like this.
$75 billion is a significant amount of money, but it's only a drop in the bucket compared to the billions spent on ICE every year 
. But with the President still going hard against his critics, it's unclear if we'll see real progress.
they joined dems on this bipartisan vote to divert billions from ICE to medicaid?! 
and i'm low-key impressed by the 2 rep senators who voted w/ dems - Lisa Murkowski & Susan Collins 
maybe we can finally get some real change in congress? 
! It's about time we shift our focus from ICE to something that actually benefits people, you know? Medicaid is a no-brainer 
. And I gotta give props to those two Republican Senators who defected – they're like the ultimate tag-team players 
! We need more of this kind of cooperation in D.C., not less 
. And can we pls keep the hate speech and drama on Truth Social, let's focus on making a difference instead 
.
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. Those Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins actually voted with Democrats? That's some bold moves, fam 
. I worry that we're going to have to wait and see if lawmakers can actually put aside their differences and get something done on immigration reform.
We need more nuanced conversations about what's really at stake here, rather than just partisan politics.
and btw, trump's comments are just wild 
"stealing billons of dollars" from minnesota? like what even is that 
... I mean, imagine if they didn't do it, we'd still be stuck with the same old ICE issues 
... and now that funding is diverted to Medicaid, maybe we'll see more focus on healthcare as a whole 
... but at the same time, Trump's just making things worse with his comments 
... can't we all just agree to disagree without resorting to name-calling? 
We need more of these kinds of compromises in Washington, you know? It's about time we start prioritizing the most vulnerable members of our society. 
Can't we just try to find some common ground here? 
. But seriously, it's awesome that these two Republicans saw things from a different angle and joined forces with their Democratic colleagues 
The fact that two Republicans joined the Democratic party on this one shows that even in politics, there's room for growth and compromise 
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. Instead of actually addressing the issues at hand, he's more concerned with making a spectacle out of himself and his critics 
. Newsflash: it was just a vote that added billions to Medicaid 
.