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As Democratic leaders coalesce behind reforms for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents without demands for funding cuts, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) introduced legislation on Friday to slash the entirety of the GOP’s massive ICE budget increase and funnel the money toward undoing Medicaid cuts.
The entire Democratic caucus, as well as two Republicans, voted “yes” for the amendment. The measure failed 49 to 51, but the vote is a show of growing opposition to Trump’s immigration campaign, even among members of his own party.
The Republicans who voted in favor were Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), who is facing a challenge from Democratic candidate Graham Platner in the upcoming election; and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who has been a critic of the Trump administration’s raids in Minneapolis and Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s conduct.
The amendment would rescind $75 billion in additional funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allocated by the One Big Beautiful Bill. This funding would then be reallocated to Medicaid, which could prevent 700,000 people from losing their health care after Republicans’ unprecedented cuts to the program last year, Sanders’s office said.
“As we speak, ICE agents are shooting American citizens in cold blood, breaking down doors to arrest people, and sending 5-year-olds to detention centers, all in clear violation of our Constitution,” said Sanders in a statement. “Instead of funding Trump’s domestic army, we should instead use that money to prevent hundreds of thousands of Americans from losing the health care they desperately need by investing in Medicaid.”
Sanders celebrated the support for his amendment, vowing to continue to fight and “demand change.” “The struggle continues,” he said.
Interestingly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) voted for the amendment while still voting for the overall package to fund the government, including a funding extension for DHS for two weeks. That package passed 71 to 29, with 24 Democrats voting “yes.” Sanders was part of the remaining 23 Democratic members who voted against it.
The support for Sanders’s amendment highlights a disparity between the Democratic leaders’ negotiation strategy and the desires of their caucus. In the wake of DHS agents’ killing of Alex Pretti last week, Schumer released the Democratic caucus’ demands in DHS funding negotiations, consisting of “reforms” to the agency that critics have said would be ineffective. He did not call for a reduction in funding for ICE or DHS, even though there is clear support among his caucus for such a proposal.
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