On Thursday, the unelected Senate Parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, delivered a significant blow to Republicans by striking down three critical provisions of their reconciliation bill aimed at funding the Department of Homeland Security. This package included separate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through a reconciliation proposal worth $72 billion.
If you remember, the Democrats shut down the government over deporting people here illegally, including criminals. After an extremely long shutdown, they agreed to fund almost everything else, but not ICE, CBP, and other cybersecurity offices. The GOP then put funding for ICE and CBP in a reconciliation bill. Now, an Obama-era parliamentarian found some technicalities to gut the bill.
The purpose of the bill was to bolster resources for critical law enforcement agencies overseeing national security. However, MacDonough’s ruling indicates that key provisions, such as the main funding for Border Patrol, additional appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, and enhancements to border security technology and screening, were found to violate Senate rules.
John Thune Is Optimistic
The timeline is short, putting critical funding at risk.
This parliamentary attack concerns $2.5 billion in Homeland Security funding. They have to rewrite the bill, then wait for her word.
This is the same parliamentarian who killed many good parts of the Big Beautiful Bill last year. She needs to go, but that won’t happen.
Her role is not in the Constitution.
“This fight is just getting started,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, adding that Democrats will force Republicans “over and over to defend their real priority: Trump’s palace over your paycheck.”
Schumer will delay it.
But Ryan Wrasse, a spokesperson for Majority Leader John Thune, said the ruling simply will require “technical fixes that were not unexpected.”
“We look forward to continued productive work” with the parliamentarian, he added, “to fully fund Border Patrol and immigration enforcement.”
NEW: The Senate parliamentarian has ruled against major sections of reconciliation bill funding ICE & CBP, per Budget Dems
Republicans can go back w/ new language
The rulings, per Budget Dems: pic.twitter.com/llOjfQYH1L
— Laura Weiss (@LauraEWeiss16) May 14, 2026