On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Senate passed the 2026 budget resolution and sent the proposed text to the House. The resolution was passed 50-48, with no Democrats voting in favor and two Republicans, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), voting against; Sen. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Warner (D-Va.) did not vote. Among other provisions, the resolution includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and provides for $1.2 trillion of additional defense spending over the next decade.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the resolution on April 21. The House will have the option to vote against the resolution, to vote in favor of the resolution as is, or to amend the resolution and send it back to the Senate.
After the House and Senate pass the same budget resolution, reconciliation directives, also referred to as reconciliation instructions, contained in the budget resolution begin the budget reconciliation process. Budget reconciliation can be used to override the filibuster in the Senate and expedite the approval of a package of legislation in Congress that changes spending, revenues, or the debt limit. Usually, a three-fifths majority (60 votes) is needed in the Senate to bring bills to a vote. Budget reconciliation bills require a simple majority (51 votes) instead of the three-fifths majority in the Senate because of the time limit on debate.
After the resolution passes, committees are responsible for drafting legislation based on the reconciliation directives. The Senate and House budget committees compile proposals from the other committees into budget reconciliation bill packages (one in each chamber). Occasionally, the Senate has skipped the committee process, moving the House bill straight to the floor (e.g., 2021 and 2017).
After the budget committees compile their respective reconciliation packages, the reconciliation bills are debated on the floor of both chambers. After and during debate, amendments can be proposed and points of order seeking removal of provisions can be raised under the The Byrd Rule. Click one of the links below for more information on this topic:
To complete the reconciliation process, both chambers need to pass identical reconciliation packages by a simple majority. Debate is limited in the Senate, preventing filibusters. After the budget reconciliation bill passes both chambers, it is sent to the president to be signed or vetoed.
This year, Republican party leaders said they would use the budget reconciliation process to fund ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after Congress did not fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the regular appropriations process earlier in the year. The decision to pass appropriations bills without funding for the department was due to disagreements regarding ICE, CBP, and the Trump Administration's immigration policies.
In a press release regarding the introduction and purpose of the 2026 budget resolution, Chairman Graham stated, "This resolution will instruct the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees to create a reconciliation bill that fully funds Border Patrol and ICE for 3.5 years, which will carry us through the Trump presidency."
Democrats were critical of the resolution. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, said that the resolution "tees up yet another massive increase in spending for ICE and CBP without any reforms that Democrats have been asking for to keep Americans safe." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) also criticized the measure on the Senate floor, saying it offered "$140 billion for ICE and Border Patrol, $0 to lower Americans' costs."