The Republican Recap: Week of April 27, 2026
This week, House Republicans passed a budget resolution to pave the way for the end of Democrats’ dangerous shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by instructing committees to responsibly fund our heroic Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through the end of President Trump’s term. This budget resolution, coupled with the DHS appropriations bill also passed this week, reopens the Department to keep Americans safe and fully funds the defense of our homeland.
By funding ICE and CBP through the reconciliation process, Republicans are able to ensure these vital national security agencies have the resources they need to keep Americans safe and the heroes who protect our nation are paid without capitulating to radical Democrat demands as they try to appease their far-left base.
While we face elevated threat levels from around the world and radical leftist political violence here at home, Democrats have held DHS hostage for over 70 days. Time and time again, we have given Democrats the chance to do the right thing and responsibly fund the agencies protecting our homeland. Every time, they refused. Now, we’re doing it without them.
“For 74 days, Democrats have held our homeland security hostage—jeopardizing the safety of the American people and withholding pay from the very men and women sworn to protect them. Democrats had 16 opportunities to do the right thing. They chose obstruction. They chose politics over public safety. This week, House Republicans said enough is enough,” said Chairman Jodey Arrington. “With passage of this budget resolution, we are unlocking reconciliation to fully fund ICE and CBP so we can deliver on the mandate the American people gave Republicans: secure the border, enforce the law, and protect our communities.This is about more than reopening a shuttered department. It’s about standing with our ICE and CBP agents who have been under attack, under-resourced, and undermined for far too long. It’s about ensuring our ports are secure, our infrastructure is protected, and our nation is prepared to respond to threats—whether from criminals, cartels, or cyberattacks.
“Republicans are fully funding the people’s government and putting the safety and security of the American people first. Make America Safe Again!”
What Members Said:
The U.S. is an agricultural powerhouse, producing the safest and most affordable food supply in the world thanks to America’s hardworking farmers and producers. In fact, American farmers produce around 85 percent of food consumed in the U.S., and the average U.S. farm feeds around 169 people annually, with about 97 percent of the 1.9 million farms across the country being family-owned. As our farmers and ranchers face new challenges and opportunities, it is vital that we make sure policy is keeping up – that’s why this week, we passed a farm bill that provides American producers with the resources they need and builds on historic measures in the Working Families Tax Cuts.
Our legislation includes critical programs to help our agricultural producers manage risk and maintain operations through economic changes and provide them with assistance to address natural resource concerns like soil health and water quality. The policies in this farm bill bolster working lands conservation programs, mitigate food insecurity by reducing bureaucracy, expand the reach of critical feeding programs, improve nutrition, and keep America’s agriculture leading the world in innovation and productivity.
The bill also contains provisions to support rural communities by strengthening broadband connectivity, encouraging private capital investments in rural communities, protecting access to healthcare, and promoting active forest management. With this legislation, we make critical investments that enhance specialty crop competitiveness and plant health, as well as enact regulatory reforms to remove burdensome red tape.
H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, sponsored by Chairman Glenn Thompson, reauthorizes and reforms Department of Agriculture programs through FY2031 to build on pro-farmer provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts, deliver certainty and regulatory clarity to farmers, and expand on investments in rural and agricultural communities, prioritizing responsible spending on agriculture without adding to the deficit.
“Championing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on behalf of our nation’s rural communities has been an honor,” said Chairman Thompson. “I am extremely pleased to see this bill pass out of the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.
"An updated farm bill that meets the current needs of our farmers and ranchers is long overdue, and this is a significant step toward getting farm country back on track. I look forward to seeing Chairman Boozman and the Senate make progress on this critical legislation so we can get the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 sent to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible.”
What Members Said:
FISA Section 702 is vital to our national security amid the rising threats we’re seeing from foreign adversaries like Iran, China, and drug cartels – however, due to previous abuses of FISA, the entire program required significant reforms before reauthorization.
In 2024, Congress enacted legislation to reform Section 702 querying procedures at the FBI, limit the use of information obtained under Section 702, require greater oversight of Section 702 targeting decisions, reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), impose stronger criminal penalties for FISA violations, and hold leaders accountable for FISA abuses on their watch. In total, 56 reforms were called for in our legislation, and have already begun making a difference.
Now, with FISA Section 702 authority set to expire at a time when threat levels are elevated, House Republicans passed a 3-year extension of Section 702 to keep our country safe while upholding the vital reforms made in our last reauthorization and adding more to strengthen privacy protections for Americans, increase accountability and safeguards, and providing for a first-ever external review for the FBI. These additional reforms include expanding criminal penalties for abuses of FISA Section 702 and conducting an audit of Section 702 targeting procedures and implementation. We also sent a 45-day clean extension of Section 702 authority to President Trump's desk to prevent a lapse in authority that could threaten our national security.
H. Amdt. to S. 1318, the Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act, sponsored by Chairman Rick Crawford, amends the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to extend the authorities of title VII of FISA through April 30, 2029, maintaining our national security while adding to previous reforms that protect Americans' privacy and address Intelligence Community abuses.
“The importance of the FISA 702 authority to U.S. national security cannot be overstated. It has prevented countless terrorist plots, thwarted cyber-attacks, and allowed for the successful seizure of significant amounts of fentanyl, at the bare minimum. While no one in Washington can get 100% of what they want all the time, this bill makes measurable reforms to strengthen oversight and accountability, while maintaining the criticality of this national security tool,” said Chairman Crawford. “Many of us understand the significant advantage 702 provides to U.S. national security and the fervent need to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. We should not sacrifice one for the other, and this legislation, passed by the House, strikes that balance. I urge our colleagues in the Senate to take up the House-passed bill immediately and send it to President Trump’s desk for signing.”
What Members Said:
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