Senate Republicans defeated language to block the creation of the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund, but not without three defections from swing-state senators and hours of suspense on the chamber floor.
The Thursday vote, brought by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), was the first in a prolonged fight centered on the $1.776 billion settlement fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche assured lawmakers this week that it would no longer move forward following a bipartisan uproar, but he refused to commit that to writing, and President Donald Trump has since given conflicting messages on its future.
Had the amendment passed, it would have jeopardized a larger bill on immigration enforcement. The vote hung open for well over three hours as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) huddled with a group of Republicans. Later, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), both of whom are opposed to the fund, could be seen consulting with the parliamentarian on their own amendment language.
Ultimately, Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) broke with Republicans, but the defections were not enough for the amendment to pass. All three are up for reelection this cycle in battleground states.
Republicans are using a filibuster-skirting process to pass $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and one of its sister agencies, but senators can propose an unlimited number of amendments before the final vote, including on unrelated or tangentially related matters.
Specifically, the Senate was voting on whether to send the enforcement bill back to committee with instructions to block the fund, a way of drafting the amendment that meant it only required a simple majority to be adopted.
Thune urged his colleagues to oppose “corrosive” amendments that undermine the underlying bill, noting that Blanche testified under oath, but there is bipartisan interest in eliminating the fund, or at least placing guardrails on it to prevent people convicted or accused of attacking Capitol police on Jan. 6, 2021, from being compensated.
Rank-and-file Republicans plan to bring their own language on the settlement fund, including Cassidy and Tillis, who has vowed to oppose final passage without it. But most will be at a 60-vote threshold, giving leadership some wiggle room.
Thune could also neutralize any successful amendments at the end of the process with a “wrap-around” that reverts the immigration bill to its original text. That approach would require near-unanimity among Republicans.
The Senate will vote on amendments directly related to immigration enforcement, including one to require ICE officers to wear body cameras. Others will touch on affordability or Trump’s East Wing ballroom.
PARTY LEADERS WRESTLE WITH ANOTHER ‘CANDIDATE QUALITY’ ELECTION
Republicans ultimately declined to provide money to the Secret Service for the ballroom, but Democrats hope to make it a political wedge for Republicans and use it as fodder on the campaign trail.
If the Senate is able to pass the immigration enforcement bill later on Thursday, the House could follow suit as soon as Friday.