A desire among a handful of Senate Republicans to codify the death of the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund is threatening the party’s ability to pass a $70 billion immigration enforcement funding package.
The Senate is using the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process to overcome Democrats’ objections to funding President Trump’s deportation force, but that has created some tricky procedural and political hurdles for Republicans.
Reconciliation allows senators to offer unlimited motions and amendments to the bill in a marathon voting session known as “vote-a-rama.”
It provides the minority party a rare opportunity to force votes that can be used for political messaging purposes.
The Senate began the vote-a-rama on the immigration enforcement funding bill around 10:30 a.m. Thursday but took more than three hours to dispense with the first vote.
The vote was on a motion from Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer to refer the bill back to committee with instructions to add language ensuring the Anti-Weaponization Fund cannot be revived.
“My very first amendment offers Republicans a choice: Do you support Donald Trump’s two-billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded slush fund, or do you want to protect the American people and their paychecks by outlawing this criminal, crony cash-back program permanently,” the New York Democrat said.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Arkansas voted with Democrats on the motion — effectively a vote to kill the bill — but it was defeated, 49-50.
All three are up for reelection this fall in states Democrats are targeting.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican, held off on voting for three hours as he and Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, pushed for a vote on their own amendment to address the Anti-Weaponization Fund.
Mr. Cassidy said the time was needed to fine-tune the language and “optimize the chance of success.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said there will be a vote or two on the issue.
“I can’t predict how it comes out,” he said.
