[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1847-S1848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             RECONCILIATION

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, the U.S. Border Patrol and our 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement have a complex and essential role 
in the lives of all Americans. They have a big mission. They arrest 
drug traffickers, they arrest terror suspects, they arrest human 
traffickers, they save exploited children, and they secure our border. 
This work is absolutely critical to our Nation's security.
  Not long ago, Democrats actually agreed with all of those things I 
said. In 2019, Senator Schumer, the minority leader--this is what he 
said to NBC News.
  He said:

       ICE does some functions that are very much needed.

  They don't seem to think that anymore. Now Senator Schumer is leading 
the charge to abolish ICE, and he wants to defund the Border Patrol. 
That is because today Democrats care more about protecting illegal 
immigrant criminals than protecting law-abiding American citizens.
  For more than 2 months, Republicans have negotiated in good faith to 
fully fund critical law enforcement Agencies in this country. We are 
done negotiating. We are moving forward alone. Republicans are going to 
fund ICE and Border Patrol without a single Democrat vote. We are not 
going to concede a single one of their demands, and these are demands 
made by radical Senate Democrats.
  The Senate is going to consider a budget resolution this week. The 
resolution is targeted, and it is focused. Here is what it does:
  First, it fully funds and fully supports the men and women of ICE and 
Border Patrol.
  Second, it funds them for the next 3 years.
  Third, it gives them more resources than ever before. ICE receives 
more money to protect our communities. Border Patrol receives more 
money to secure our borders. Increased funding means more law 
enforcement. It means more illegal immigrants will be deported as 
criminals. It means more investigations into drug cartels and human 
traffickers. It means that our communities will be safer.
  It is just common sense. Consider the commonsense policy changes that 
Republicans offered and Democrats refused to accept: $20 million to buy 
body cameras for agents to wear; Democrats voted no. More oversight of 
ICE spending; Democrats voted no. More money for deescalation training; 
Democrats voted no.
  The Department of Homeland Security now has a new leader. It is 
Markwayne Mullin--we know him--from the great State of Oklahoma. At his 
confirmation hearing, now-Secretary Mullin committed to working with 
Democrats on commonsense reforms to immigration enforcement. Almost 
every Democrat still voted against his confirmation. Why? Not because 
they don't like him personally but because Democrats don't want to 
reform ICE. They want to abolish ICE. That is the difference. They want 
to abolish our Border Patrol. They want to defund law enforcement in 
America.
  Here is what Democrats are still demanding: Senate Democrats want to 
ban ICE agents from wearing masks. Masks help protect agents and their 
families from being doxed by gangs of radical thugs. We know that open 
border groups are publishing the names and home addresses of agents 
online. These dangerous actions are one more reason that attacks on ICE 
agents have been rising dramatically.
  These open border Democrats have a long-term goal. Their goal is to 
make life so miserable and so frightening for the families of ICE and 
Border Patrol agents that these highly trained professionals quit their 
jobs. The Democrats' long-term goal is to undermine the hiring of new 
agents and shut them down completely.
  So, today, Republicans are moving forward to fund law enforcement.
  To my Democratic colleagues, you have lost your war on law 
enforcement. You have failed to turn America into one big sanctuary 
country, as you have turned so many cities into sanctuary cities all 
across the country. You have failed to take America backward to the 
days of open borders by the Democrats, when more than 10 million 
illegal immigrants flooded into our country on the Democrats' watch. 
Under Republican leadership, zero illegal immigrants have been released 
into our country now in almost a year.
  Republicans want ICE and Border Patrol to be able to do their job. 
Republicans want law enforcement to be funded. We want American 
citizens and American communities to be safe. Americans deserve safety 
and security.

[[Page S1848]]

This week, Republicans are delivering it.
  I yield the floor.
  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. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The minority whip.

                          ____________________