The Senate will not send a Republican-led $72 billion reconciliation bill to fund federal immigration enforcement by President Donald Trump’s deadline.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced Thursday that the chamber will head to their Memorial Day recess without passing the reconciliation package, which Trump wanted on his desk by June 1, Thune’s office confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Republicans are currently battling over a fund that could pay people alleging the legal system was “weaponized” against them; some Republicans have expressed concern that the fund will be used by Trump and his allies.
The package would provide over $30.73 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), $22.57 billion to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and $2.5 billion in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations through 2029. Senate Republicans drafted the legislation in response to the 76-day shutdown of DHS after Democrats refused to fund the agency following high-profile shootings involving immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January.
On the fund, Thune and other Republicans, including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, expressed skepticism about how the funds would be used. The fund is part of a settlement agreement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to end a civil lawsuit filed in January over the leak of his tax returns.
Trump also wanted to use the spending package to set aside $1 billion for Secret Service security enhancements during the White House ballroom construction. However, the Senate was expected to not provide the funds for the ballroom after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough struck it down for violating the Byrd Rule in a Saturday ruling.
MacDonough also struck down provisions regarding funding for ICE, CBP and DHS in a Friday ruling.
The House may also punt the reconciliation vote until after the Memorial Day recess.
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