WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, with the support of U.S. Senator King (I-Maine), the Senate passed – by a bipartisan vote – a bill to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill still requires passage by the House of Representatives.

“Congress’s first priority should be funding the Department of Homeland Security. It is absolutely critical – particularly now, at a time when our home front faces new national security threats nearly every day. The continued partisanship surrounding this issue is a serious mistake for this institution and for the safety and security of the people of this country,” Senator King said. “Once both houses of Congress pass an appropriations measure funding DHS, I will support moving forward to debate of the President’s November executive actions. I have long been critical of Congressional inaction on immigration as well, and hope this bill will serve as a path to an open and fair debate that leads to the eventual enactment of comprehensive immigration reform by Congress.”

The Senate voted 68-31 to “cleanly” and fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, meaning that the bill did not contain provisions relating to the President’s November executive orders on immigration.

Following the vote to fund DHS, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell moved to proceed to debate S.534, a bill to prohibit funds from being used to carry out the President’s November 2014 executive actions. Senator King did not support moving forward to that bill but, will do so once the House of Representatives fully funds the Department of Homeland Security.

Senator King has been a proponent of immigration reform, voting last year in favor of the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate by a wide margin but which died in the House.

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