[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1846-S1847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, if it were up to Republicans, we would have 
finished the appropriations process months ago. We made a lot of 
progress on restoring the appropriations process this past year.
  We had, for the first time in years, actually moved 11 of the 12 
appropriations bills across the finish line under regular order, 
something that literally hadn't been done in years. And I think if you 
go back to when the last time we did all 12, it might have been 30-some 
years ago. But that progress was disrupted.
  It was disrupted, first, when Democrats shut down the entire Federal 
Government in the fall. It was disrupted again when Democrats refused 
to fund the Department of Homeland Security in February. And it was 
disrupted, yet again, when Democrats walked away from bipartisan talks 
because they refused to fund law enforcement and border security.
  For 67 days now, Democrats have refused to fully fund the Department 
of Homeland Security. That is unacceptable, and it is why Republicans 
are going to move forward this week with a budget resolution that will 
allow us to take up a funding bill for the law enforcement and border 
security components of DHS.
  And to prevent another reckless attempt by Democrats to defund law 
enforcement when we next take up appropriations, Republicans will fund 
law enforcement and border security for the next 3 years.
  Now, I say ``reckless'' about the Democrats because that is exactly 
what they are. Democrats are refusing to fund the Agency that protects 
our Nation's borders. Think about that for a minute. Let that sink in. 
Democrats are refusing to fund the Agency that protects our Nation's 
borders.

[[Page S1847]]

  These are the people who not only stop people attempting to enter our 
country illegally but defend our Nation against a number of threats. In 
fiscal year 2025, Border Patrol agents apprehended 460 gang members 
trying to enter our country illegally. They apprehended 73 known or 
suspected terrorists--terrorists--illegally crossing our borders. They 
seized almost 80,000 pounds of illegal drugs.
  They are the ones capturing the human smugglers, the drug 
traffickers, and the criminals engaged in human trafficking, not to 
mention that they are the ones conducting rescue operations when 
illegal immigrants are drowning in the Rio Grande or dying of 
dehydration in the desert.
  And Democrats want to defund--defund--this Agency. They want to leave 
our borders completely unprotected. I would say they want to go back to 
the days of the Biden border crisis, when you had literally tens and 
often hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding across our 
southern border every month. But it seems Democrats may be looking for 
something even worse.
  Democrats are also refusing to fund Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement, and that is the Agency that removes criminal illegal 
immigrants from our country like criminals who are in our country 
because of the open border policies of the Biden administration.
  Do Democrats really want to go back to the days when criminal illegal 
immigrants were often allowed to live freely in our country? We owe it 
to the families of Laken Riley and too many others to keep our 
communities safe, and that is what ICE is doing.
  The American people support that mission. Democrats apparently don't.
  I expect we are going to hear Democrats this week talk about 
reforming ICE operations. Here is what I don't think they are going to 
talk about: The White House reformed how ICE operates on its own months 
ago. On top of that, the White House repeatedly offered Democrats a 
robust package of legislative reforms, but nothing was ever enough for 
Democrats. They kept moving the goalpost, and eventually they just 
walked away.
  Democrats may have decided to abdicate their responsibility to fund 
crucial government Agencies, but Republicans will not do the same. As I 
said, the budget resolution before us this week will unlock funding for 
law enforcement and border security at DHS for the next 3 years.
  For the past year, Republicans have operated in good faith to fund 
the Federal Government with--with--Democrats. We made considerable 
progress and, as I said, passed 11 out of the 12 appropriations bills. 
And we were on track to pass a bipartisan Department of Homeland 
Security funding bill until Democrats walked away.
  I suspect our Democrat colleagues will cry ``partisanship''--we heard 
it from the Democrat leader this morning--throughout this process. The 
Democrat leader had the gall last week and this to accuse Republicans 
of embarking on a ``partisan circus'' to fund law enforcement and 
border security. And it would be funny if those words were not so 
hypocritical.
  Democrats--and Democrats alone--alone--have made this process 
partisan. Republicans bent over backward to work with them, but it was 
never enough. And we have run out of time to play the Democrats' games. 
We have a job to do, and Republicans are going to get it done.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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