Senate Republicans give border crackdown top priority in 2025
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Incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is actively seeking ways to make next year's border and defense package deficit-neutral, if not deficit-negative.
Why it matters: Despite pushback from House Republicans, Thune is full steam ahead on his two-part reconciliation plan for next year, sources tell Axios.
- Top staffers in leadership and committee offices met Friday to start sketching out the logistics of the process.
- Trump adviser Stephen Miller said on Sunday that the border package would be passed by "early February," indicating President-elect Trump's team is on board with the two-part plan.
The border portion of the first reconciliation package — which also includes energy and defense — could be as much as $120 billion, a source familiar told Axios.
- It would go toward wall and border agents but also build out infrastructure at Immigration and Customs Enforcement for Trump's deportation efforts.
Zoom in: After pressure from some Senate Republicans, Thune is gathering ideas for ways to pay for the package likely to include hundreds of billions of dollars for defense and the border — though the exact total is not clear.
- One idea: Overturning President Biden's student loan program, which could free up to $200 billion, sources familiar with the conversations told Axios.
- Some of the package could also be paid for by increased revenue through some of the energy proposals.
What they're saying: "While I support spending restrictions and tax cuts, my top priority — and the first order of business in the Senate Budget Committee — is to secure a broken border," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who will chair that committee come January, posted on X on Monday.
- "The bill will be transformational, it will be paid for, and it will go first," he added.
What to watch: The second proposed package will deal with extending the Trump-era tax cuts and is expected to be far more complicated to work out.
- It's not clear whether Republicans will be as serious about trying to offset the total cost of extending those tax breaks in the same way.
Zoom out: There's still disagreement over Thune's approach within the party.
- Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, has criticized the plan and said he expects just one big reconciliation package next year.
- But senators seem to be backing the idea.
