Cameron Arcand

So when we see situations like this, this is where the filibuster would come into that.

However, as Scott told me, the Senate does not seem to have the votes to get rid of that, even though a couple of years ago, back in 2022, Democrats actually wanted to end the filibuster with the exception of Sinema and Manchin in order to pass their own voting legislation.

So obviously, times have changed in regards to where they stand on that.

Yes, but it would be difficult.

So Senator John Hoeven and some others have floated the possibility of going through the reconciliation process, which is a very, very fancy way of saying a budget bill.

Now, these have a much difficult route in order to getting to the floor.

However, they don't require the 60 vote threshold that we're seeing with some of these other pieces of legislation.

Now, you might not know what reconciliation is, but you probably have heard of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

That was a type of reconciliation bill.

Now, in context of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown,

That would mean that the Senate would try and pass funding for the department.

You know, I've heard numbers like three years being floated.

I've heard a decade being floated in order to pass that funding for an extended period of time.

However, the reconciliation process is known to be very difficult.

given that it really only applies to a limited set of policies that can pass through that.

However, that might be a method that some Republicans are exploring in order to avoid getting rid of the filibuster, but still reopening the department fully, because that original Senate deal that passed last week left out ICE and Border Patrol from that.

The important thing to remember here is the Democrats originally started the shutdown because it was a concern over federal immigration enforcement funding.

And it had to do with they wanted specific reforms to be made.

As of right now and where these deals are currently passed, does not include any of those reforms.

The Senate bill would just delay those.