The Republican-authored FY2026 budget resolution paving the way for a narrow budget reconciliation bill to provide multi-year funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies of the Department of Homeland Security cleared a procedural Senate vote 52-46 April 21. The resolution instructs the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees to craft a reconciliation bill that funds ICE and Border Patrol for more than three years. It does not include reconciliation instructions to the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees that have jurisdiction over tax, trade, and healthcare issues.

There are 50 hours of debate after a vote to proceed to the bill and, with time yielded back, the vote-a-rama process of unlimited amendment votes — when the opposing party shut out of consideration of the bill typically compels the controlling party to take politically difficult votes — could begin today or Thursday.

Asked following the regular Tuesday Senate party lunches what he is willing to add to the bill, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said, "We think the narrower and the tighter we keep the conversation around this, the more likely it is that we have success in passing it in the House and in the Senate and putting it on the President's desk." Some GOP Senators, like John N. Kennedy (R-LA), have suggested the measure would need to be broadened to address affordability issues because of skepticism about a third reconciliation bill to follow the ICE/CBP measure and last year's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA). Senator Thune said, "We have other members who would like to do other things through reconciliation, but this particular exercise has a specific purpose in mind, and we intend to stay focused on it."

A third bill is being eyed by Republican leaders to possibly include provisions related to the SAVE America Act voter ID bill and other GOP priorities. Asked if the SAVE Act could comply with reconciliation rules, Senator Thune said, "I'm confident … that we will get the votes to pass it in the Senate. And there are other things that will be contemplated if — obviously, conversations with the Parliamentarian to determine what could survive the Byrd test would be key to that."

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is considering a workaround for the voter ID bill, saying weeks ago, "We're going to make a down payment on the SAVE Act in reconciliation in the fall," while noting that "reconciliation has limits." The process requires provisions to have a revenue effect that is not "merely incidental" to its underlying policy. Chairman Graham has suggested the rules could be circumvented through grant programs addressing voter integrity laws.

During his post-lunch news conference, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) suggested his party's focus this week would be on affordability issues, saying, "What Americans want right now: Lower gas [prices], lower groceries, lower electric bills, lower costs for housing, lower costs for health care, lower costs for childcare. Unfortunately, Republicans seem to have a different priority: $140 billion for ICE and Border Patrol." Last week, Leader Schumer said "in the vote-a-rama we're going to hold [Republicans'] feet to the fire on DHS, on the war, and on so many other issues." Schumer said Tuesday that, "Amendment after amendment, vote after vote, Republicans will have to decide: Lower costs or let them keep rising."

Amendment votes can last overnight and into the next morning, though there are suggestions the process will be truncated this week. "During Senate Republicans' closed-door lunch meeting Tuesday, some senators said they didn't want to be trapped in Washington late Thursday night citing events scheduled back home or campaign plans," Punchbowl News said April 21. "This vote-a-rama is expected to be on the shorter side. But Democrats are eager to use the process to force Republicans to take politically uncomfortable votes."

Healthcare — The House April 21 approved 406-4 the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2493), to reauthorize grant programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that provide funding to health care service providers and related entities in rural areas. A telehealth bill (H.R. 3419) passed by voice vote.

Financial services — The Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, April 21, held a hearing on the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member and chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Democrats, led by Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), focused many of their questions on the Fed's independence, ethics and the risk of political interference, with repeated references to pressure on interest rates and the potential implications of the DOJ's probe of current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Some Republicans, most prominently Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), warned that the DOJ investigation threatens the Fed's independence by destabilizing leadership succession and politicizing routine governance matters.

Schedule — Today (Wednesday, April 22) at 10 a.m., the Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing, "The President's Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Health and Human Services Budget," with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Also, today, at 10 a.m., the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee is holding a hearing, "A Review of the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of the Treasury," with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Additionally, the Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing, "The Trump Administration's 2026 Trade Policy Agenda," with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer today at 10 a.m. Ambassador Greer is at the Senate Finance Committee for a hearing on "The President's 2026 Trade Policy Agenda" tomorrow (Thursday, April 23) at 10 a.m.

Elections — In the April 21 Virginia Special Election, voters decided to amend the state's Constitution to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts, in what is seen as a benefit to Democrats seeking to compete with Republican redistricting efforts in other states, which began with Texas. Democrats currently hold six of the Virginia delegation's seats compared to five for Republicans. The AP reported that redrawn maps, which could still face a legal challenge, could position Democrats to win 10 House seats. The victory puts pressure on Republican redistricting efforts in Florida, where an April 20 special session was postponed.

The Wall Street Journal reported April 21, "Voters in Democratic-leaning suburbs and exurbs outside Washington, D.C., heavily favored the measure, while voters in heavily Republican rural areas largely voted against it." The Washington Post reported, "Since last year, 10 congressional districts have been drawn around the country in Democrats' favor. That's one more than the nine drawn to Republicans' advantage."

Separately, in the Senate midterm elections, the thinking has long been that, to win control of the currently 53-47 chamber, Democrats must hold all of their seats and flip four seats, likely including the Maine seat of Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and North Carolina seat of the retiring Senator Tillis, plus two more in states that President Trump won in 2024, such as Alaska, Iowa, Ohio, Texas.

An April 20 New York Times story, "Why a Democratic Senate, Once Unthinkable, is a Real Possibility," said, "In recent polls, Democrats appear tied or ahead in four Republican-controlled seats — the number they would need to take the Senate. These include Maine and North Carolina, where the likely Democratic nominees hold clear leads, as well as Ohio and Alaska, where Democrats have recruited strong candidates in states Mr. Trump won by double digits in 2024. There are also signs that Republicans could be in danger in two more states where Mr. Trump won by double digits: Iowa and Texas."