Congress back in session facing key funding and security deadlines

PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-11 17:40:00 — www.pbs.org

The House and Senate returned to session this week with deadlines looming on everything from DHS funding and a farm bill to an almost-expired national security and foreign intelligence law. Lisa Desjardins reports on the long to-do list for Congress.

Amna Nawaz:
The House and Senate return to session this week, with deadlines looming on everything from DHS funding and a foreign bill to an almost expired national security and foreign intelligence law.Our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins, joins us now with more on Congress’ long to-do list.Lisa, bring us up to speed.Two weeks ago, Congress managed to pass a bill that would fund and open DHS, most of DHS. As part of the deal, they left ICE and Border Patrol out.
Lisa Desjardins:
Right.
Amna Nawaz:
How are Republicans handling that now?
Lisa Desjardins:
These next two weeks are critical for those subagencies.First of all, remind people that both of those agencies, ICE and Border Patrol, got a windfall, a one-time windfall last summer. They have been living off of that. But it’s their usual annual appropriations that they have not gotten 1 cent of yet. Democrats blocked that because of what we showed in videos and also their concerns over conduct in general across the country, how Americans — killed and also being treated in ICE custody.Now, what’s happened now is that Republicans are trying to go around Democrats using a special budget procedure called reconciliation. It only needs 50 votes in the Senate. Here’s what they are proposing to pass, first of all, $38 billion for ICE, more than $25 billion for Customs and Border Protection.Those are large sums. It would be three years’ worth of beefed-up funding. The bill is expected to hit the Senate floor as soon as next week. But the politics are already hitting now, because funding three years, that’s very unusual.And, in addition, there are billions of other dollars in this, including $1 billion to find security for the president’s ballroom.
Amna Nawaz:
And that money for the ballroom we saw generate headlines just like last week. What’s your reporting on how lawmakers are seeing that?
Lisa Desjardins:
This has really dominated conversation among Republicans on the Hill behind the scenes. Talking to my sources, there is confusion at best and very high frustration at worst.I think this money right now is really on the edge of coming out of this bill. One congressional source told me the White House has to sell this money. They’re not exactly sure what the billion dollars would be for. And they’re not sure if Trump wants it.But we know he wants something because he said so to our own reporter Liz Landers. Here’s what he told her in a phone call last week.He said: “All they’re doing is financing some security, and it’s not a billion dollars. It’s just a few — what’s needed for security.”So let’s look at the legislation, though. It clearly is calling for $1 billion in numbers available for three years to support the East Wing. That is clearly the ballroom, Amna. But there are no specifics on exactly why a billion dollars would be needed. It is a huge amount of money. The U.S. Secret Service entire annual budget is $3.5 billion.So this is a large chunk of that. We may know more tomorrow. The head of Secret Service has been asked to speak to Senate Republicans behind closed doors at their lunch.
Amna Nawaz:
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on several other issues in Congress. What else is on your radar and should be on ours?
Lisa Desjardins:
There’s a lot.It was hard to pick just a couple, as you could imagine. But, first of all, we do expect an important nomination to be confirmed this week. That is of Kevin Warsh. He is the nominee to be the head of the Federal Reserve. He is expected to be confirmed this week and step into what will be one of the most powerful jobs honestly on the face of this planet.We’re also watching the farm bill. That’s something that is particular to politics, but also has enormous policy implications from nutrition to farm policy, a lot of our farmers going through a lot of stress, especially in the last couple of years. But we’re also watching what it means for ethanol, some important votes on that this week.And, finally, key powers in FISA. That’s the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That runs out in a month. It seems like a long time. Congress has punted it. But it’s not because, of course, Congress will have a one-week recess in the middle. And we know it is hard for them to make decisions on this controversial bill. So we’re watching that closely.
Amna Nawaz:
Busy week for you. We will see you back here soon, Lisa Desjardins.
Lisa Desjardins:
OK. Got it.

How this sits against verifiable accuracy
The excerpt outlines the current legislative challenges facing Congress, particularly regarding funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its subagencies, ICE and Border Patrol. It notes that these agencies received a one-time funding boost last summer but have not received their usual annual appropriations. The Democrats blocked these appropriations due to concerns over conduct in ICE custody and the treatment of individuals within the agency. The Republicans are now attempting to use a budget procedure called reconciliation to secure substantial funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, which raises questions about the unusual three-year funding proposal.

The excerpt also highlights a specific allocation of $1 billion for security related to the president’s ballroom, which has sparked confusion and frustration among lawmakers. There is no clear justification provided for this amount, especially considering that it constitutes a significant portion of the U.S. Secret Service’s annual budget. The excerpt indicates that the White House needs to clarify the necessity of this funding.

What the excerpt shows about verifiable lies
The excerpt does not present any statements from Trump that can be classified as outright lies or falsehoods. Instead, it reports on a conversation where Trump expressed his views on the funding for security, stating, “All they’re doing is financing some security, and it’s not a billion dollars. It’s just a few — what’s needed for security.” This statement reflects his perspective but does not provide enough context to verify its accuracy or to label it as false. The excerpt lacks external verification or evidence that would substantiate or refute Trump’s claims regarding the funding.

Targets and tone
The excerpt does not show Trump engaging in any disparaging or hostile rhetoric toward specific individuals or groups. Instead, it focuses on the legislative process and the discussions among lawmakers regarding funding issues. There are no insults or threats directed at any person or group, and the tone remains neutral throughout the discussion of the funding and legislative challenges.

In summary, the excerpt illustrates the complexities and tensions surrounding congressional funding debates, particularly regarding ICE and Border Patrol. While it captures Trump’s perspective on security funding, it does not provide sufficient evidence to classify any of his statements as false or misleading. The ongoing discussions about funding allocations and their implications remain critical for accountability in government spending.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/congress-back-in-session-facing-key-funding-and-security-deadlines