WASHINGTON – A standoff between the White House and the Senate remains unresolved after Republican senators defiantly left town 10 days ago without passing legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies.
Senate Republicans returning to Washington on Monday have indicated that they will not have the necessary votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House collaborates with them to establish parameters for a new $1.776 billion settlement fund. This fund is intended to compensate Trump’s allies, yet Trump has shown little interest in negotiating those terms, even after a judge temporarily halted any payouts.
The path to resolving this dispute is unclear, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune highlighting the need for the Trump administration to propose solutions. Thune expressed concerns that the settlement money, which could potentially benefit individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol attack, complicates matters significantly.
This impasse over the “anti-weaponization” fund represents a critical juncture for Republicans as they aim to maintain their majority in upcoming elections while advancing their legislative agenda. The tensions have been exacerbated by Trump’s campaign efforts to unseat GOP lawmakers he perceives as disloyal, further complicating the landscape for Senate Republicans.
Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas recently lost their reelection bids after Trump endorsed their primary opponents, raising questions about their support for the president’s agenda moving forward. A growing number of GOP senators have expressed frustration with Trump, feeling he disregards their political needs.
Thune remarked, “It’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in the political atmosphere around us.” Meanwhile, Democrats are planning to propose several amendments to the immigration bill aimed at scaling back or eliminating the controversial settlement fund. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that Democrats will compel Republicans to vote on the matter, asserting their commitment to preventing any funds from being disbursed.
Despite growing frustration among Senate Republicans, Trump has made it clear that he remains unconcerned about the midterms, as evidenced by his recent remarks about unrelated foreign conflicts. This nonchalance could further alienate GOP senators who feel the pressure of upcoming elections.
At a closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Republican senators conveyed an ultimatum: impose limits on the settlement fund or they will take action themselves. Various proposals have been discussed to restrict the fund, including defining eligibility for payouts and reforming the commission responsible for settlement decisions. Republican senators prefer the White House to take the initiative to modify the fund independently.
As the Memorial Day recess approached, signs of progress remained elusive. Senator Todd Young of Indiana stated that he had not seen any proposals from the White House that would be deemed acceptable by GOP leadership. “It’s in their court,” Young said, directing attention to the White House’s responsibility to navigate this complex situation.
Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee expressed optimism about ongoing discussions, indicating that there are efforts to reach a workable solution. However, as tensions mount, the acting attorney general faced significant scrutiny during his meeting with senators, which was described as “angry” by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who noted that a substantial number of Republican senators expressed their dissatisfaction.
The Senate had initially intended to remain in session to vote on the immigration spending bill, but leaders ultimately canceled votes, sending senators home amidst rising discontent. Cruz commented that Republican senators voiced their frustrations over the fund, labeling it as “self-dealing” and questioning whether it reflected an arrangement that Trump made solely for his benefit.
Concerns were also raised regarding the potential for January 6 defendants to receive settlements. Cruz mentioned that senators sought assurances from Blanche that violent offenders would not be eligible for payouts, yet Blanche has refrained from making such guarantees publicly, arguing that defining recipients is inherently complex.
Trump’s history of pardoning numerous defendants from the January 6 events, including those convicted of violent crimes against law enforcement, adds another layer of controversy to the settlement fund discussions.
The division over the fund follows a prior abandonment of $1 billion in security funding for the White House, highlighting the contentious nature of current funding negotiations. Simultaneously, funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol remains contentious, with Democrats blocking efforts in protest of the administration’s immigration enforcement strategies.
Republicans aim to utilize a complex budget strategy called reconciliation to secure agency funding through the end of Trump’s term, although this requires unity among GOP members and ultimately Trump’s endorsement. Democrats anticipate that some Republicans may continue to oppose the White House’s stance on the settlement fund, with Senator Gary Peters of Michigan labeling it as potentially corrupt and urging his Republican colleagues to stand firm against it.
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Associated Press writers Steven Sloan and Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.
