Rep. French Hill, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said during an interview that he expects the House to approve a spending measure that would complete funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol.
"I expect we will approve it. That will complete funding," Hill said, adding that he viewed delays as the result of "mismanagement ... by Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats that have tied up this spending now since last October." He praised prior Trump administration efforts on border security and removing criminal felons living in the country illegally.
Hill also said appropriators are making progress on next fiscal year spending. He named Senators Tom Cole and Susan Collins as working on appropriations and said he expected roughly seven of the 12 appropriations bills to be completed ahead of the nation's semi‑quincentennial celebration.
On the renewal of foreign‑intelligence surveillance authority, Hill said House and Senate negotiators — including Rep. Rick Crawford and Sen. Tom Cotton — have collaborated on FISA language and that leaders were working to find consensus. "I believe we can find consensus and get that passed and get that authorized," he said, citing the importance of Section 702 as a tool to "surveil foreigners who may be planning attacks against Americans."
When asked whether the State of America Act would be included in those bills, Hill said he could not answer because the Senate had not acted on the measure despite multiple House passages.
The comments came in a brief, on‑air interview; Hill did not provide a timeline for final Senate action on FISA or additional details about any adjustments to the appropriations measures.