ICE OFFICIAL: The Department of Homeland Security Is Funded After Monthslong Debate

The House of Representatives passed the $70 billion party-line budget bill Republicans refer to as the “Secure America Act.” The Department of Homeland Security funding bill will now be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it immediately Wednesday morning.

House Republicans passed the bill Tuesday night, 214-212, with all Democrats voting “no,” including Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., who conferences with Republicans.

Immigration funding has been a monthslong debate in Congress. Democrats have continuously refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection since February. This was the longest shutdown of any department in U.S. history.

“The Democrats chose open borders, so Republicans are using reconciliation, the most powerful tool available to circumvent obstruction, to finish the job without them,” Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, told the Daily Signal after the vote.

This is Reconciliation 2.0 delivered. Next comes 3.0.

Three Republicans were absent for the vote: Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, both of South Carolina, who both have primary elections tonight, and Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., who has been mysteriously absent from votes for months.

With three Republican absences and a slim majority, this required every member to fall in line.

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., held up the vote for roughly three minutes but eventually folded after getting a talking-to from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and other members of leadership.

“Through the Secure America Act, Republicans are Schumer-proofing the border to keep American communities safe through the remainder of President Trump’s term. This bill invests $70 billion in the Border Patrol agents and ICE officers taking down cartels, stopping human traffickers, and keeping violent criminal aliens off America’s streets,” Pfluger said.

The specifics of the bill provide $38 billion for ICE, $26 billion for CBP, and $5 billion for a newly created fund to be controlled by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The $70 billion includes a provision sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to allocate $108.5 million to hire and train nearly 200 forensic analysts and investigators to combat child trafficking and online child exploitation.

This is the largest investment from Congress to combat child trafficking in history.

“My legislation with Tim Tebow to rescue thousands of children trapped in sex trafficking just passed the House and is headed to the President’s desk. That’s two hundred new law enforcement officers to find and rescue kids trafficked by predators and a new initiative to coordinate local, state, and federal enforcement. This is the biggest surge against online child exploitation ever by the federal government. It’s time to rescue these kids,” Hawley said in a press release after the vote.