Graham vows to plow ahead with reconciliation for defense, homeland funding

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that his panel is moving “expeditiously” to unlock Senate Republicans’ ability to fund defense and homeland security priorities without Democrats’ help.

“The purpose of the second reconciliation bill is to make sure there is adequate funding to secure our homeland and to support our men and women in the military who are fighting so bravely,” Graham said in a statement. “More funding will mean they can complete the task assigned and keep America safe – which is money well spent.”

Graham added that a second reconciliation bill could also be used to “improve voter integrity,” a nod to Republicans’ plan to try to get parts of their election bill, known as the SAVE America Act, included to appease Trump.

The announcement came as some Republicans proposed this week using the budget reconciliation process, which allows a united majority to avoid the 60-vote filibuster threshold, to pass immigration enforcement funding Democrats oppose. It also comes as GOP leaders strategize over how to potentially pass a new slug of Pentagon funding as the war in Iran nears the one-month mark.

Graham’s comments Wednesday morning come after he met with Budget Committee Republicans Tuesday on what senators said afterward was a preliminary meeting to “touch gloves” about pursuing another reconciliation bill. Graham subsequently met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune to brief him on the closed-door discussion.

“Lindsey is moving down that path. And my expectation is if he does end up drafting a budget resolution it would be with a lot of input from members of the conference and something that I think we would be confident we could support on the floor,” Thune said.

The Senate needs to adopt a budget resolution before Senate Republicans can bring a filibuster-skirting policy bill to the floor. The budget resolution outlines which committees will have the drafting pen for the eventual bill and lays out broad fiscal targets the eventual bill will need to comply with.

Budget Committee Republicans discussed trying to get parts of the SAVE America Act, like incentivizing states to implement voter ID, and funding for ICE into a party line bill. Graham did not specify a timeline for when he will have a budget resolution ready.

Even as Graham is vowing to push forward, it’s still uncertain that congressional Republicans will actually be able to pass another reconciliation bill.