Senate Republicans on Thursday narrowly defeated a Democratic attempt to block President Donald Trump from creating a $1.8bn fund to pay his allies, exposing divisions within the president's own party. The amendment, proposed by Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, would have barred the payouts in legislation funding Trump's mass deportation campaign.
The vote, which lasted three hours, failed 49-50, with three Republican senators—Susan Collins of Maine, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Jon Husted of Ohio—breaking ranks to support the measure. All three are considered vulnerable in the upcoming midterm elections. The fund, described as an 'anti-weaponization' fund, could issue financial settlements to individuals connected to the January 6 insurrection.
Despite assurances from acting US attorney general Todd Blanche that the administration would not proceed with the fund, Schumer insisted Congress should legislate to block it permanently. 'Republicans are trusting the word of Todd Blanche, who built a career on lying,' Schumer said, noting Trump's recent praise for the fund.
The amendment was attached to a $70bn bill funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through 2029. Republicans are using budget reconciliation to bypass the Democratic filibuster. The standoff over agency funding began in January, leading to a 75-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
After Schumer's amendment failed, Republican senator Thom Tillis proposed redirecting the fund's money to combat fraud, but Democrats rejected this, with Oregon senator Jeff Merkley calling it insufficient. Tillis's amendment garnered only 11 Republican and three Democratic votes, failing to pass.
