By Nicole Weatherholtz | Friday, 01 May 2026 09:56 AM EDT
Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, warned Friday that the agreement to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown has effectively zeroed out border enforcement funding, urging Congress to act quickly to fix it.
During a recent appearance, Sessions stated that the bill was rushed through the House as lawmakers faced pressure to avoid leaving Washington without resolving the issue.
“Well, the most important part is that we’re expected to now take a break and it is not good to go back home without these things being done,” he said.
Sessions explained the procedural maneuvering that allowed the bill to pass, noting leadership moved to bypass a traditional recorded vote by making it a voice vote.
“In essence, they accepted what happened rather than calling members to come down and vote,” Sessions added.
He indicated that difficulty in securing enough support has been a recurring problem for leadership on major funding bills.
“And that has been, of course, our Achilles heel, is getting enough votes to pass it,” he said.
Despite supporting the need to keep the government open, Sessions opposed the substance of the deal because of its long-term impact on border security funding.
“In essence, I would have voted against the deal because what it does is that while it funds it in the short term, in the long term it zeros it out,” he stated.
The congressman warned that the structure of the agreement creates a looming funding crisis for agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
“So, it means that the circumstance that we have put the country under immediately ahead of this in a few years is a funding crisis,” Sessions said.
He stressed that lawmakers must now use the reconciliation process to restore that funding before the consequences are felt.
“It’s got to be corrected now with reconciliation,” Sessions added.
The Texas Republican noted that newer members may struggle with the implications of such deals, while more experienced lawmakers recognize the broader stakes.
“The older people who have been here see this in a larger context,” he said.
Still, he emphasized that Congress must balance fixing the funding issue with keeping the government functioning and national security operations intact.
“We have to fund the government,” Sessions said. “We have to get us back to work. We have to get the people who are critical to our national security paid.”
Referencing comments from fellow Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, he argued the deal also underscored broader concerns among conservatives about border security priorities.
“I think what Chip also could have said is this also gave us a more complete understanding that [Democrats] do not want to fund any activities related to the national security of our borders, our infrastructure, or our ports,” Sessions added.
“That’s, once again, a charge that the Democrats are willing to say, ‘And you’re right,’” he said.
