Two Republican senators broke with their party Thursday morning, voting against a budget resolution that aims to end the Department of Homeland Security’s two-month funding impasse. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky were the lone GOP defectors as the measure advanced 50-48.
Murkowski’s Oversight Concerns
Murkowski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, opposed the resolution because it would pave the way for a budget reconciliation package that funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for three and a half years. That maneuver would effectively remove those two key agencies from the annual appropriations process, which Murkowski argued weakens congressional oversight.
“I support funding our immigration enforcement agencies, but taking them out of the regular appropriations cycle undermines our ability to conduct proper oversight,” Murkowski said in a statement. The move comes as GOP senators brace for a potential fall shutdown showdown amid the ongoing DHS crisis.
Paul’s Fiscal Objections
Paul voted against the resolution after raising alarms over the $70 billion in new spending for ICE and Border Patrol, noting that those agencies still have more than $100 billion in unobligated funds from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Kentucky senator offered an amendment to offset the new costs by cutting $5 billion from refugee welfare programs, $4 billion from the National Science Foundation, and shrinking the Department of Education by 16 percent.
“Congress ought to fund border security, but we should be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars and fully pay for the $70 billion to secure our borders,” Paul said on the Senate floor. His fiscal hawkishness echoes broader debates about spending, as GOP senators recently blocked an effort to attach voting restrictions to a budget package.
Broader Implications
Despite the defections, the resolution passed, setting the stage for a reconciliation package that could end the DHS shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota urged the House to adopt the Senate version without changes, warning that any amendments would force another round of votes and delay the process.
The split within the GOP highlights tensions between fiscal conservatives and leadership’s push to secure the border. Paul’s concerns about the scale of spending—last year’s bill allocated over $170 billion for border security—reflect a persistent skepticism about whether such sums are justified. The resolution’s passage keeps reconciliation on track, but the dissent signals potential hurdles as the package moves forward.
