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Hill: Reconciliation may be needed to fund Homeland Security as shutdown drags on
Summary
Rep. French Hill said House appropriations have funded Homeland Security but Democrats will not approve funding; he argued reconciliation may be the only route to pay Customs and Border Patrol and some ICE operations amid a partial shutdown.
Congressman French Hill, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told the host that continuation of a partial federal shutdown left the Department of Homeland Security at financial risk and that reconciliation may be necessary to fund certain agencies.
"The only way we can get the badly needed funding for the Customs and Border Patrol and certain ICE enforcement operations is by using reconciliation," Hill said, arguing that House appropriations had already passed funding but that Senate and House Democrats would not support those measures.
Hill cited warnings from DHS leadership that the agency could run out of money and employees could go unpaid soon, and he referred to a scheduled 2:00 p.m. hearing on the impacts across DHS components. "We've had the Appropriations Committees under Susan Collins and Tom Cole fully fund these agencies," he said, framing reconciliation as a reluctant but necessary step if appropriations are not enacted.
He also questioned the political feasibility of a third reconciliation package, saying it would depend on identifying offsets and securing 218 House votes.
Those claims reflect Hill's legislative position; the interview did not include responses from Democratic members of Congress or DHS funding officials.
