Senate Republicans voted 53-46 on party lines Wednesday to advance a roughly $70 billion reconciliation bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol after lawmakers removed a settlement fund and White House security funding.
Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to try to pass the legislation without any Democratic votes and must first wade through a long series of amendment votes, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. Thune said, "Right now, the goal is to get the base bill across the finish line," and he added, "Keep in mind, we've got to keep them all together, make sure we've got 50 votes for it." Republicans unveiled updated legislative language shortly before scheduling a procedural vote around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday after the measure was delayed for weeks as GOP senators navigated obstacles created by President Donald Trump and the White House.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress, "we are not moving forward with the fund, period." Blanche made the assurance to House appropriators on Tuesday but declined to put the decision in writing and praised the underlying purpose of the proposed fund, comments that left some Republican senators wary. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Blanche's remarks did not assuage his concerns, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called them "helpful" but said she would still vote for amendments to nix the fund. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said he was waiting to see what specific amendments are offered and whether the Senate parliamentarian would rule they could be added to the reconciliation bill.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would file his own amendment to eliminate the so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund" and acknowledged the parliamentarian could rule the change needs a 60-vote threshold to be added rather than a simple majority. Tillis said he could ultimately vote against the overall bill if it does not include language barring the fund. "I wouldn't support a bill that doesn't have that in there," Tillis said.
An updated version of the bill released Wednesday omits about $1 billion in Secret Service security funding that had been included in an earlier draft and could have been used for the White House ballroom. The revised language also strips out Justice Department funding unrelated to the controversial settlement fund in hopes of making it harder to include language restricting or eliminating the fund.
Senate Democrats said they did not expect to start voting on amendments until Thursday morning, and a "vote-a-rama" on the bill was slated to begin tomorrow. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., expressed confidence Republicans would ultimately have the votes to pass the measure, saying, "Democrats can drag it into the middle of the night if they want to, but we're ready to go."
Democrats are preparing a series of amendments they say will put Republicans in politically uncomfortable positions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, "It is only a matter of time before Blanche and Trump go back on their word," and vowed to force votes to permanently ban what he called the "slush fund" and to block a settlement with the IRS that would contain audit immunity for the president's tax returns.