John Thune
Senate Republicans voted to advance a reconciliation package that will finally fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Wednesday after the Trump administration scrapped the $1.776 billion weaponization fund.
The Senate also dropped funding for Trump’s military installations and security in the White House Ballroom.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune this week confirmed that the Senate would vote on reconciliation only after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche assured that the weaponization fund would be dropped.
WATCH:
The bill will fund DHS’s immigration functions through fiscal year 2029.
Per CBS:
In a 53 to 46 vote, the Senate voted along party lines to proceed to the reconciliation package, setting up a marathon vote series before final passage. The “vote-a-rama” could begin as early as Wednesday evening, but Democrats appeared poised not to allow Republicans to speed up the process, pushing the votes into Thursday.
A revised version of one part of the package released Wednesday also dropped language that would have provided $1 billion in security funding for the Secret Service, including for President Trump’s East Wing renovation, where he plans to build a massive ballroom. That funding faced intense scrutiny from a handful of Republicans, prompting senators to abandon it.
Last month, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees unveiled the initial text of the $72 billion package, which funds immigration agencies through fiscal year 2029.
GOP senators have been seeking assurances from the administration about the fate of the controversial Justice Department fund, which was the subject of a heated meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche two weeks ago. Blanche testified before a House committee on Tuesday that “we are not moving forward with the fund.”
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, the plan to fund DHS was announced in early April with “two parallel tracks” using the appropriations and reconciliation processes, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Leader John Thune announced.
GOP lawmakers, however, revolted against the President’s agenda and held the funding for immigration agents hostage.
(VIDEO) Tim Burchett Eviscerates Senate RINOs for Refusal to Fund Government and Pass SAVE Act, Calls for Thune to be Replaced as Leader
This is a developing story.
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