Senate Republicans on Thursday rejected several attempts to formally block the United States President, Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund meant to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the government.
The proposal has triggered divisions within the Republican Party, with some GOP lawmakers, particularly those facing difficult reelection contests ahead of November’s midterms, supporting moves to scrap the fund. Critics argue the initiative could become a political slush fund benefiting Trump allies and potentially reward individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, including those accused of assaulting police officers.
The debate unfolded during the Senate’s lengthy “vote-a-rama” session on amendments tied to a $70 billion Republican-backed immigration enforcement package. The immigration bill, viewed by some Republicans as a potential final major legislative achievement for Trump before the midterm elections, has faced delays due to growing opposition within the GOP over the controversial fund.
Democrats also used the amendment process to challenge several Trump-backed proposals.
One amendment introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley seeking to block funding for Trump’s ballroom project failed, although a handful of Republican senators joined Democrats in support of the measure.
Amid mounting criticism from within his own party, the Trump administration has attempted to reassure lawmakers that the “anti-weaponization” fund would not proceed.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers earlier this week that the administration is “not moving forward with the fund, period.”
Trump, however, offered a less definitive position while speaking to CNN on Wednesday.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know,” Trump told CNN Wednesday on whether the fund is fully dead or just on hold. “As far as I’m concerned, it was a beautiful thing.”
At the beginning of Thursday’s voting session, Senate Republicans defeated an amendment led by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that sought to eliminate the fund entirely.
Lawmakers also voted down a separate effort by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina aimed at ending the proposal, although Democrats argued the administration could simply revive it under a different name.
Schumer’s amendment failed by a 49-50 vote, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Jon Husted and Dan Sullivan siding with Democrats.
The vote underscored the delicate balancing act facing Republicans who oppose the fund but do not want to jeopardize the wider immigration legislation.
Negotiations among Republican senators temporarily stalled proceedings for several hours as party leaders worked to persuade a small group of GOP lawmakers resisting pressure to oppose the Democratic amendment targeting the fund.
Among the holdouts was Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who recently lost his primary after clashes with Trump. Cassidy ultimately voted against the Democratic proposal but continued to publicly criticize the fund.
In a court brief filed Thursday alongside Democratic Sen. Cory Booker as part of ongoing legal challenges against the initiative, Cassidy warned about its broader implications.
“The Anti-Weaponization Fund presents a threat to our constitutional democracy that this Court has never before been asked to confront,” the senators wrote in the friend-of-the-court brief.
The filing accused the administration of attempting to bypass Congress’ constitutional authority over federal spending.
It also argued that using the fund to compensate January 6 participants represented a “scheme deliberately designed to recast insurrectionists, including those who perpetrated violence against law enforcement officers, as victims.”
Later on Thursday, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed an amendment to attach the “SAVE America Act” to the immigration package. The measure would require voters to provide identification and proof of U.S. citizenship before casting ballots.
The amendment failed to secure the 60 votes needed for passage after all Democrats and four Republicans, Sens. Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell and Tillis, voted against it.
Ahead of the final vote on the immigration bill, Republican leaders continued efforts to prevent a possible rebellion from GOP senators reluctant to support the legislation without explicit language permanently ending the fund.
Tillis maintained that he could not support the immigration package unless it included clear provisions abolishing the “anti-weaponization” fund.
“No, I’m not going to,” Tillis told CNN when asked if he could support the bill without language to kill the fund. “I voted to get on it with the goal of potentially getting an amendment done or supporting some other members’ amendment.”
