Merkley Statement on House Passage of Budget Resolution That Ignores the Needs of Working Families

Merkley Statement on House Passage of Budget Resolution That Ignores the Needs of Working Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to the Senate Republican budget resolution that could gift Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) up to $140 billion in new spending. Last week, Merkley unveiled an analysis of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) SF-133 reports showing that, as of the end of March, these two agencies are sitting on more than $103 billion in unobligated funding from the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that Republicans enacted last July.

"One thing is crystal clear in this Republican-run Congress: The high costs facing hardworking Americans are not as important as throwing billions of dollars at Trump's rogue police.

"While Republicans remain hellbent on passing a bill to give up to $140 billion to ICE and Border Patrol - two agencies that are currently sitting on over $100 billion that Republicans gifted them last year - Democrats are fighting and working to craft policy thatactually brings down costs for middle-class families and helps them get ahead.

"Senate Democrats will vigorously challenge any Republican bill language that tries to slip policy into the reconciliation bill in violation of law. As the lead Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, I look forward to a robust Byrd Bath process and examining every line of the legislation Republicans unveil," said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley.

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