US Senate pushes back against Trump’s $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund | Donald Trump News
Senate Republicans Delay Immigration Funding Vote Amid Internal Divisions
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have postponed a vote on a proposed $72 billion funding bill intended to support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives. The decision comes before a long holiday weekend and highlights a rare instance of dissent within the party regarding the administration’s recent actions.
Senate leaders had scheduled the vote for Thursday, but the party’s unity was shaken following two significant developments from the White House this week.
One of those developments involved the announcement of an “anti-weaponization” fund, which the Trump administration revealed as part of a recent lawsuit settlement. Trump had previously filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leakage of his tax refunds by a contractor in 2019. Critics have raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, given that Trump was both the plaintiff and the overseer of the agency involved.
As a result of the settlement, nearly $1.776 billion has been set aside for individuals perceived to have been unfairly treated by the government. Opponents argue that this fund could disproportionately benefit Trump’s allies.
In light of these controversies, Senate Republicans summoned acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to testify on Capitol Hill regarding his endorsement of the settlement, which drew from Justice Department funds that typically do not require congressional approval. Nebraska Senator Don Bacon remarked that the situation has weakened Trump’s support among Senate Republicans. “He’s lost some support in the Senate,” Bacon told reporters, referring to the lawsuit’s implications.
Senator Thom Tillis, who is not seeking reelection this November, criticized the “anti-weaponization” fund as misguided, stating, “I think it’s stupid on stilts. The American people are going to reject this out of hand.”
Another point of contention arose from Trump’s request for $1 billion in funding to construct a White House ballroom, which he initially claimed would not require taxpayer money. Recently, he attempted to include the ballroom costs in the immigration funding bill, arguing it was essential for national security. However, Senate leaders indicated on Wednesday that the funds for the ballroom would be excluded, which would allow Republicans to utilize a special legislative process for the immigration measure.
“The bill was supposed to be very narrow, targeted, focused, clean, straightforward, and it got a little more complicated this week,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune. He added that after the upcoming recess, his party would “pick up where we left off.”
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Republican leadership has canceled a planned vote on a war powers resolution that aimed to compel Trump to seek congressional approval for U.S. military actions against Iran. A similar measure had passed the Senate earlier in the week, but the House vote has now been postponed until June, following the Memorial Day recess.
Democrats criticized the Republicans for their handling of the situation. “We had the votes without question, and they knew it,” said Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
