Senate Republicans took another step Tuesday toward reopening the Department of Homeland Security, voting to debate a blueprint that would fund three years of immigration enforcement and help put to rest a monthslong dispute with the Democrats.
In a matter of hours, Republicans released and then brought to the floor a plan that would provide up to $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its sister agency, Customs and Border Protection.
It will be a long road to actually dole out those funds, as the Senate pursues a convoluted process that lets Republicans circumvent the filibuster and sidestep Democratic votes. The legislation also addresses only a fraction of DHS, which has a sweeping mandate that includes airport security and disaster relief.
But the procedural step, which advanced in a 52-46 vote, marks the first concrete movement in weeks toward ending a partial government shutdown that began in mid-February, and House Republicans
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