House Republicans are set to unveil and debate major pieces of their sprawling megabill, including boosts to border security and deportation funding, when lawmakers return from recess at the end of the month.
A trio of meetings across the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Armed Services committees the week of April 28 will highlight major policy changes Republicans are seeking to further empower the Trump administration to carry out mass deportations while financing an expanded military presence at the southern border. Republicans are also planning to increase immigration fees and slash social services for migrants seeking to enter the country.
Immigration Policy Changes
GOP leaders’ push to hammer out the immigration-focused pieces of the massive package comes amid a growing battle on Capitol Hill over President Donald Trump’s deportation policy. Republicans are moving quickly to write their proposals into legislation after finally agreeing on a budget blueprint for the party-line domestic policy bill last week.
The Judiciary Committee will meet April 30 to debate its part of the GOP package, which is set to include $110 billion in spending on immigration enforcement, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-announced plans.
The Homeland Security Committee is targeting its hearing for April 29, with as much as $90 billion for boosting deportations and other efforts at stake, according to two other people. Republican lawmakers have been crafting proposals behind closed doors, and staff have ramped up talks in recent days to finalize the initial frameworks.
The Armed Services Committee will also meet April 29, with the House panel needing to reconcile the gap between its $100 billion spending target versus the Senate’s $150 billion directive that is expected to win out. Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and other defense hawks have been pressing for the House to hit a higher number, after initially pushing $125 billion.
The Pentagon portion of the GOP reconciliation effort would likely include money for the Trump administration’s expanded military mission at the U.S.-Mexico border, where more active-duty troops have been positioned in recent months. It could also include funding for costly long-term programs, such as Navy shipbuilding and efforts to overhaul the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.
Even if GOP hawks win the larger total in a final bill, it’s still short of their ultimate goals of achieving annual budgets exceeding $1 trillion for national defense.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is also aiming to meet April 29, and the House Financial Services panel is targeting an April 30 markup, as POLITICO has reported.
But the major fights ahead for Republicans will come the following week of May 5, when the Energy and Commerce Committee and Agriculture panel plan to meet, with internal GOP battles raging over cuts to Medicaid and food assistance.
