Senate Republicans delay vote on $72 bn package to fund ICE amid feud over Trump's anti-weaponisation fund

Senate Republican leaders on Thursday (local time) delayed a vote on the GOP's plan to fund US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol until June, following objections to the President Donald Trump administration's “anti-weaponization” fund. Trump administration's 'anti-weaponisation' fund The $1.776 billion fund was created as part of a settlement in exchange for a lawsuit by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which he controls. According to CBS News, pro-Trump allies, including those who were charged for their involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack, said they are eager to submit claims. Also Read | US govt may create $1.7 bn fund in exchange for Trump dropping the IRS lawsuit Democrats have criticized the arrangement as blatantly corrupt, arguing there would be little meaningful congressional oversight over how the funds are distributed or who receives payments. Several Republican senators also expressed concerns and said they would seek to add guardrails on how the money is used in the reconciliation package. Democrats also pledged to introduce amendments targeting the fund. GOP divided over anti-weaponisation fund Citing two Republican sources, NBC News reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had hoped to advance a reconciliation package through the Senate and send it to the House before the Memorial Day recess. However, GOP senators left a closed-door briefing with senior officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ) about the “weaponization” fund with more questions than answers, and it became clear there was no Republican consensus to move forward. The Senate had reportedly been prepared to discuss a version of the $72 billion reconciliation bill on Thursday, with the House set to do the same on Friday. However, the plans fell apart following a meeting between GOP senators and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who had been dispatched to the Hill to convince skeptical members about the DOJ fund. Also Read | Trump moves to withdraw $10 billion IRS lawsuit linked to leaked tax records What happened at the closed-door briefing? Blanche met with senators for more than two hours; however, several emerged from the meeting without commenting, hinting that their concerns had not been addressed. Speaking to CBS News, GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top appropriator in the Senate who has expressed opposition to the DOJ fund, said she did not feel better about the fund after the meeting. However, a DOJ spokesperson, in a statement, said the meeting included "a healthy discussion on the settlement." The spokesperson added, "[Blanche] made clear that the Anti-Weaponization Fund announced Monday has nothing to do with reconciliation; indeed, not a single dime from the money the President is seeking in reconciliation would go toward anything having to do with the Fund." Shortly after the meeting concluded, Republican senators said the Senate would adjourn following Thursday’s session without considering the reconciliation package. House leaders then canceled plans to stay in Washington after the day’s votes, and a scheduled meeting between Speaker Mike Johnson and the president was also called off, according to the report. Reconciliation bill delayed further? The recent developments make it almost certain that GOP lawmakers will miss the deadline set by Trump for the reconciliation bill to reach his desk by June 1. The reconciliation bill stemmed from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown earlier this year and aims to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years. With Democrats opposing the funding, Republicans moved the bill through the reconciliation process, which does not require Democratic votes in the Senate. The proposal for the reconciliation bill had already suffered some setbacks earlier in the week regarding the inclusion of $1 billion in Secret Service security funding, including money linked to the president’s planned overhaul of the East Wing, which involves building a large ballroom. The Senate parliamentarian ruled that this funding violates reconciliation rules on what can be included in such legislation, and skeptical Republicans had expected it to be removed in a revised version of the bill. That updated version has not yet been released. The delayed vote highlights deep Republican divisions over the reconciliation package and the DOJ “anti-weaponisation” fund.