Days after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar won back his position as the top Democratic member on a powerful House panel that oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

The Laredo Democrat forfeited his role as chair of the Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security in 2024 after he was indicted on corruption charges, based on House Democratic rules that made him ineligible to hold onto the post. Now that he’s been pardoned, Cuellar is eligible to return as ranking member of the subcommittee.

Some House Democrats said this week that they were uneasy about restoring Cuellar to his previous role, Politico reported. But 17 of the 27 Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee voted on a secret ballot Thursday to return him to the post, with seven voting against and the rest voting present or recusing themselves, according to a source familiar with the meeting.

This means Cuellar would be in line to chair the panel if he is reelected and Democrats win back the majority in next year’s midterm elections. The subcommittee oversees more than $65 billion in annual homeland security funding, including for Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Cuellar and his wife were set to stand trial in April for a dozen charges of bribery, money laundering and conspiracy. In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice accused him of accepting $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-run oil-and-gas company and a Mexican bank.

Several Democrats have said that Cuellar’s legal troubles are behind him since he was pardoned before the trial and never proven guilty. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, told reporters this week that it would be “consistent with the rules” of the House Democratic Caucus for Cuellar to regain his post.

But others in the party expressed concerns about the prospect of someone who has faced bribery charges being put back in charge of billions in federal funding, Politico reported.

Cuellar’s history of voting with Republicans on tightening border security has furthered some of these worries for Democrats. In announcing his decision to pardon Cuellar, Trump wrote on social media that the centrist Democrat was punished by the Department of Justice for speaking out against former President Joe Biden’s border policies.

“Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH,” Trump wrote.

Cuellar said in a statement on X last week that the pardon gives him a “clean slate.”

“This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas,” he wrote. “The noise is gone. The work remains.”

Cuellar replaces Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Illinois, who has been the acting ranking member of the subcommittee since his indictment.

The development comes as Cuellar prepares to defend his seat after the GOP-controlled Legislature redrew Texas’ 28th Congressional District to more heavily favor Republicans. The new map aims to make Cuellar’s path to reelection harder. Trump won the district by 7 percentage points in 2024. Under the new map, he would’ve carried it by 10 points.

Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina has entered the race to challenge Cuellar as a Republican. He’s running with backing from national Republicans, which could set Cuellar up for the closest general election he’s had in years.

Gabby Birenbaum contributed reporting.

Disclosure: Politico has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

 Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.