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Sen. Bill Cassidy says reconciliation could secure DHS funding as talks stall
Summary
Sen. Bill Cassidy told interviewer Maria that Republicans will keep pursuing funding for the Department of Homeland Security — including ICE and Border Patrol — and that reconciliation is an option after negotiations with Senate Democrats stalled; the interview also covered the talking filibuster and recess-appointment practice.
Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday that Republicans will continue to press for funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its components, and that a reconciliation package could be used if negotiations with Senate Democrats remain deadlocked.
The moderator, identified in the transcript as Maria, opened by describing recent efforts in Congress to fund DHS, ICE and Border Patrol. Cassidy said Republican lawmakers have sought to secure those accounts and accused Democrats of opposing that effort. “They don’t want ICE funded and they’re willing to sacrifice the security of the United States to achieve their goal,” Cassidy said during the interview.
Cassidy told the program he would "absolutely" support a reconciliation package as a path to fund DHS. He said Republicans anticipated this scenario earlier and, he said, used the Working Families tax cuts bill to “quadruple[] the funding for [the] Department of Homeland Security,” adding that reconciliation could be used to extend funding through fiscal year 2029.
When the moderator pushed on the effectiveness of a talking filibuster, Cassidy defended the tactic and said he has supported a talking filibuster since taking office. "It takes a little bit of extra time, but you can break it," he said, citing historical examples and saying Republicans will "continue to attempt to fund Department of Homeland Security until we get it done."
The interview also touched on confirmations and Senate procedure. The moderator asked about a possible Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing for a person named in the transcript as "Kevin Wars"; Cassidy said he was not on the Banking Committee and that he had "heard a lot of good things" about the nominee but had not spoken with him. Later, a speaker identified in the transcript as Mike Lee joined the discussion to ask why the Senate will not go into a full recess to permit recess appointments; Cassidy responded that the Senate has avoided full recesses in recent years and said Republicans have taken steps to move more appointees through the process.
No formal votes or committee actions were recorded during the interview. Cassidy closed by reiterating that Republicans will keep seeking ways to fund DHS and related agencies.
