Thune on new proposal to end DHS shutdown

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Tuesday said Republicans were willing to put legislation on the floor that would fund the Homeland Security Department except for the parts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that deal with arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.

"It is essentially what the Democrats have been asking for," he told reporters. "So, we're going to have an opportunity to vote on that, and I hope they will put their money where their mouth is."

Under the plan, Republicans would seek to fund the rest of ICE through the budget reconciliation process, which can allow certain legislation to skirt the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold and pass with a simple majority vote.

President Trump and other Republicans would likely also try to attach other initiatives to a reconciliation bill, including the SAVE America Act, Republicans' elections bill that is currently being considered in the Senate but has no chance of getting over a Democratic filibuster.

However, reconciliation is a cumbersome process that comes with a number of restrictions on what types of proposals can qualify, including rules preventing lawmakers from passing policy changes unrelated to the budget.

It's unclear whether the SAVE America Act or other GOP priorities would qualify, and the determination is made by the Senate parliamentarian, whose guidance Sen. Thune indicated he would abide by.

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