Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released a statement on Apr. 21 in response to Senate Republicans' fiscal year 2026 budget resolution, which aims to advance a second reconciliation bill that would allocate up to $140 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The statement comes as debate continues over congressional priorities for federal spending. The proposal would provide significant additional funds for immigration enforcement agencies, drawing criticism from Democratic leadership.
Merkley said, "Last summer, Republicans passed a mega bill betraying hardworking American families, cutting more than $1 TRILLION from health care programs to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Now, Republicans are once again ignoring the issues that Americans are begging Congress to address." He continued by saying that instead of focusing on reducing everyday costs such as gas or groceries, Congressional Republicans are "hellbent on passing another bill to provide even more funds to ICE and CBP -- agencies that were already funded at multiple times their former budget last year!"
He also noted his concerns about oversight: "In addition, Republicans rejected any commonsense reforms for these agencies such as wearing identification or getting a warrant before breaking into homes." Merkley described the plan as providing "more money for more secret police tactics that are terrorizing communities across America."
Concluding his statement, Merkley said he would continue opposing what he called unchecked power: "As Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, I will fight further unchecked power and blank checks to Trump’s secret police and continue to focus on hardworking families—families who are struggling to make ends meet due to policies championed by Trump and Congressional Republicans."
The ongoing discussion highlights divisions in Congress over federal spending priorities related both to immigration enforcement funding levels and broader domestic policy.
