Rep. Sewell Votes in Favor of Revised Government Spending Package That Excludes Full-Year DHS Funding

Package includes remaining full-year FY26 funding bills, excluding DHS

Washington D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of a bipartisan funding package to end the partial government shutdown and provide full-year funding for the remaining federal agencies, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The package includes a two-week continuing resolution for DHS while Democrats negotiate stronger guardrails against misconduct by ICE agents.

"After the horrifying and deadly events in Minnesota, Americans across the political spectrum agree that ICE under the Trump Administration has gone too far and needs serious reform," said Rep. Sewell. "This bill gives Democrats greater time and leverage to negotiate with Republicans on a set of guardrails to curb ICE's reckless conduct while keeping other services up and running that are essential to the safety and well-being of the American people."

"To be clear, this bill does not increase ICE's budget by a single penny," continued Sewell. "It does, however, keep air-traffic controllers and TSA agents on the job and disaster assistance flowing to communities in need. The package also includes our bill to expand access to cancer screenings and $5.5 million that I secured for local projects in our district."

The package includes bipartisan legislation led by Reps. Sewell and Arrington to expand access to cancer screenings for America's seniors. The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act would create a pathway for Medicare to cover MCED tests once FDA-approved.

The package also includes $5.5 million that Rep. Sewell secured for nine local projects in Alabama's 7th Congressional District, including:

• $250,000 for improvements to Craig Field Airport in Selma, including upgrades to the precision approach path indicating system, taxiway and runway signage, and parking asphalt repairs;
• $1,656,000 for the City of Selma to revitalize Alabama Avenue by assessing, renovating, and converting fourteen existing buildings;
• $500,000 for Auburn University to construct ten prototype "resilient homes" in Selma made from high-performance materials to withstand extreme weather elements;
• $850,000 for the Bessemer Housing Authority toward construction of a multi-purpose community center;
• $250,000 for the City of Homewood to upgrade and expand culvert capacity in the neighborhoods surrounding Edgewood Elementary School;
• $250,000 for the Jefferson County Greenway Commission to upgrade and renovate the entrance and guest parking lot of Red Mountain Park;
• $700,000 for the City of Pleasant Grove to install 2.57 miles of new sidewalks, strategically add pedestrian lighting, and repair 1.26 miles of deteriorated sidewalk;
• $850,000 for the City of Hueytown to improve roadways and walkways in the community by resurfacing streets and installing new sidewalks; and
• $250,000 for the City of Tuscaloosa toward upgrades and renovations to the infrastructure of the Tuscaloosa Public Library.

Rep. Sewell successfully led the effort to restore and increase appropriations for pancreatic cancer research in the FY26 defense bill after funding for the program was completely eliminated in FY25 under Republicans' continuing resolution. Sewell secured a historic $20 million for the program, a $5 million increase from FY24 funding levels.

The package also:

• Increases funding for NIH by $400 million, including research to develop treatments and cures for cancer, Alzheimer's, ALS, Diabetes, and other diseases;
• Rejects proposed cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), increases funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by $15 million and State Opioid Response Grants by $20 million;
• Increases funding for Child Care and Head Start by $170 million, helping provide hard-working families access to early childhood education and childcare;
• Provides $66.6 billion in funding for rental assistance programs, rejecting President Trump's efforts to slash funding for these programs by 50 percent;
• Provides $18.6 billion for the FAA, an increase of $1.6 billion, including funding to expand the air traffic controller workforce by 2,500 personnel, improve facilities and equipment, and modernize the nation's air traffic control towers;
• Increases funding for medical research by $1.7 billion, including $1.3 billion for Congressionally Directed Medical Research Projects (CDMRP) that support efforts to develop treatments for cancer, disease, and service-related injuries; and
• Fully funds the 3.8 percent pay raise for military personnel.

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