Senate Republicans move forward on ICE funding package, but it faces roadblocks ahead
The vote came after the DOJ said it would drop the "Anti-Weaponization Fund."
Senate Republicans plowed ahead on Wednesday with their immigration enforcement budget package that was derailed ahead of the Memorial Day recess over concerns about President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization fund.”
Senators voted in a party-line vote to advance the legislation that will provide billions of dollars in funding for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, kicking off up to 20 hours of debate before an expected hours-long voting marathon -- called a "vote-a-rama" -- as soon as Wednesday night.
While the package moved forward, there are a number of potential roadblocks that must be navigated.
The breakthrough came after Senate Republican leadership said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s telling a House subcommittee on Tuesday that the administration was “not moving forward with the fund. Period” was enough of a commitment to quell much of the hesitation from wary members.
“I think that most of our members feel pretty satisfied with his comments, that they were in a public hearing under oath,” Majority Leader John Thune told ABC News Wednesday. “I think for the most part, at least, his comments were extremely helpful.”
The administration’s reversal on the fund after a rare revolt from Republicans during a meeting with Blanche two weeks ago. Blanche had been called to Capitol Hill to persuade senators that the $1.776 billion fund established by the Justice Department to compensate those who allege they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration was nothing to be concerned about.
Inside the meeting, however, Blanche got an earful from Republicans about how the fund had derailed their schedule to fund ICE and CBP as frustrated senators vowed to withhold their vote until the details of the fund -- mainly who could be compensated from it -- were laid out.
Senators were ultimately unable to find a resolution on a path forward, leading Thune to send them home early in order to continue discussions last week during their Memorial Day recess.
Therefore, while Blanche’s Tuesday comments and Wednesday’s procedural advancement signals confidence from Thune that he believes he now has the support to pass the reconciliation package, there are still possible hurdles to overcome.
Under reconciliation, a measure needs only a simple majority to pass rather than the normal 60 votes, but can be used only for spending and tax bills.
During the Senate’s vote-a-rama process, both parties can offer unlimited amendments and Democrats are expected to put forward a number of politically tricky amendments for Republicans to vote on.
Democrats have made clear that Blanche’s commitments aren’t enough for them and have teased their intentions to bring amendments forward that would permanently kill the anti-weaponization fund or put major restrictions on it, which could see some support from Republicans.
While Blanche seemingly dispelled some doubtful senators the fund was a good idea, there are still a handful of Republicans who are skeptical about the DOJ’s commitments and want to see concrete, written language that the administration was not moving forward with the fund now nor ever before voting on final passage.
During Tuesday's hearing, Blanche refused to commit to put in writing that the fund was dead, but said he would "take it under advisement."
Retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told ABC News Wednesday before the procedural vote, "I think even DOJ knows that this was a bad idea, and what we need to do is provide finality. I mean, they've said that they quiesced the program, then why can't we just take the step of statutorily eliminating the question, so that the future decision to reopen it is eliminated." He added that he intends to bring forward his own amendment that would kill the prospects of a fund.
This comes as senators have already scrapped another one of the White House’s proposals: a $1 billion request for security measures for the White House’s East Wing renovation project, including millions for Trump's White House ballroom project. The Senate parliamentarian told Republicans over the weekend that this $1 billion could not be included in the bill under Senate rules. A number of Senate Republicans had already come out publicly against the funding.
Yet even without its inclusion in the final package, it’s still likely that Democrats will offer amendments to formally bar funding for the ballroom.
Should any amendments pass, the legislation will be amended before a final passage vote is taken in the Senate and then sent to the House before it lands on Trump’s desk.
Congress has already funded the rest of the Department of Homeland Security 's budget but funding for ICE and CBP were separated out during negotiations over immigration enforcement reforms to end the historic partial government shutdown.
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