Russell Fry

Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., told Newsmax on Wednesday that final passage of a $70 billion immigration enforcement package is "a good day for good government" and urged Republicans to "be bold" as the party pivots to a third reconciliation push that his Ways and Means colleague, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., says must carry tax cuts or lose his vote.

The House cleared the Secure America Act 214-212 on Tuesday, ending a 115-day funding lapse and sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his expected signature.

Speaking on "Wake Up America," Fry cast the vote as vindication of Trump's 2024 mandate.

"I think I speak for the American people, too, that are just very glad that we're finally funding our police, the people who are supposed to protect one of the most sacred things about a country, which is a border," he said.

"This is why we won the election. And so to have this finally sent to the president's desk despite Democrat opposition and really ridiculous opposition, when you boil it down, it's a good day for good government," added Fry.

The measure directs roughly $38.6 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion to Customs and Border Protection, and $5 billion in flexible Homeland Security spending, locking in funding through the rest of Trump's term.

It is the second reconciliation package of his second term after last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Republicans turned to reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate filibuster, after talks with Democrats collapsed over enforcement guardrails sought in the wake of a January immigration operation in Minneapolis that left two people dead.

The Senate cleared the bill 52-47 last Friday, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, the lone Republican voting no. House passage hung on a single vote after Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., briefly opposed the measure before flipping under leadership pressure; independent California Rep. Kevin Kiley joined every Democrat in voting against it.

On a third reconciliation bill, Fry argued his party should not pull its punches.

"We owe it to the American people to be bold," he said. "This is the moment that the American people expected when they sent us to Congress and sent us to the White House just a few years ago. We need to be bold, take this moment and run with it."

He acknowledged the political calendar, saying, "We're in an election year, and so it'll be a great bill with a lot of provisions."

Fry backed Ways and Means Chairman Smith, who told Politico on Monday he would not support a third package without tax provisions.

"The chairman hits on a good point, which is, chairmen should be empowered in this process to make sure that they have provisions within this bill," Fry said. "From a tax perspective, certainly I think there's room in this bill, and a lot of other chairmen on ways that we can improve what happens out of Washington, D.C."

He said the GOP should be "driving this train" and "getting to the wishes of the constituents that we represent."

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