Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to begin debate on their $70 billion immigration enforcement funding package, crossing a key hurdle after weeks of turmoil over politically thorny issues tied to it.
The 53-46 party-line vote kicks off up to 20 hours of debate on the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation package, dubbed the Secure America Act.
When debate concludes, senators will have an opportunity to offer unlimited amendments in a process known as “vote-a-rama” before a vote on final passage.
The bill was designed to fund the Homeland Security Department’s immigration enforcement functions through the remainder of President Trump’s term after Democrats filibustered annual appropriations for his deportation force.
The measure includes $38.6 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion for Customs and Border Protection and another $5 billion for DHS to use for immigration enforcement as it sees fit.
Republicans dropped $2.5 billion in other funding from the package before it made its way to the floor.
The scrapped money includes $1 billion for Secret Service security and technology upgrades, including “hardening” the new White House ballroom and East Wing.
Several GOP senators said they did not support using taxpayer funding to secure the ballroom since Mr. Trump promised the project would be funded through private donations.
Republicans also nixed $1.5 billion for the Justice Department to spend on its new division for investigating fraud.
While GOP senators broadly support that funding, many were against a separate Justice Department initiative to establish a $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund to provide payouts to people with claims that the government unfairly targeted them.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blance told lawmakers during a House hearing on Tuesday that the Justice Department is permanently abandoning the plan to stand up the Anti-Weaponization Fund, but declined to commit to that to writing.
Republicans removed the separate $1.5 billion pot of money for the Justice Department from the bill to make it more difficult for Democrats to offer germane amendments related to the Anti-Weaponization Fund that could pass with a simple majority vote.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Mr. Blanche’s comments declaring the fund permanently dead “were extremely helpful” in getting Republicans to support advancing the package.
Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, said that change, coupled with the removal of the ballroom security funding, was key to her voting to begin debate on the package.
President Trump, however, left the door open to resurfacing the Anti-Weaponization Fund or something similar in an interview with Pod Force One.
“The court ruled against the fund. But I haven’t dropped anything,” he said.
The president said people who were prosecuted over the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol “lost their lives over nonsense” and should be compensated.
“I’m very proud to have given them pardons, and I think they should be reimbursed for a crooked government,” Mr. Trump said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, said that is why Congress needs to codify Mr. Blanche’s claim and “render the fund inoperative.”
He plans to offer an amendment to that effect, arguing the Anti-Weaponization Fund is “a huge political liability.”
“You know what they say in politics — ’when you’re explaining, you’re losing,’” Mr. Tillis said. “There’s no way to explain this $1.776 [billion] fund, so the only way you can explain it is explain that you got rid of it.”
Anyone who wants to side with Mr. Trump in providing compensation to people who assaulted Capitol police officers can “test that on the stump and see how it works out for you in November,” he said.
Mr. Tillis, who is not seeking re-election, also said he would like to use his amendment to restore the $1.5 billion for the Justice Department’s fraud division, noting there was support for that until the issue on the Anti-Weaponization Fund emerged.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican, also said he would support amendments to formally nix the fund, “making sure that somebody doesn’t change their mind and the White House doesn’t turn back.”
If the Senate passes the $70 billion immigration enforcement package, the House will quickly vote on it before the end of the week.
In the interim, House GOP leaders are working on another budget reconciliation package focused on combating fraud and affordability issues.
The budget reconciliation process allows Republicans to skirt a Senate filibuster and pass their top party priorities, but it can only be used once per fiscal year.
That limits the current Congress to three reconciliation bills. The first enacted last summer was Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which extended and expanded President Trump’s first-term tax cuts.
That package also cut federal spending on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by adding work requirements and other changes that Republicans said were aimed at reducing fraud and refocusing the programs on the most vulnerable.
The immigration enforcement funding package is the second, and the third reconciliation package will be ready “in the coming weeks,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who chairs an executive branch anti-fraud tax force, is involved in crafting the package as it will continue Republicans’ work to combat waste, fraud and abuse in government, the Louisiana Republican said.
“The White House is dialed in on this 100%,” the speaker said.
Mr. Trump commended Mr. Vance’s task force and congressional Republicans for their work to root out fraud.
“Billions of Dollars is being found, and we’ve just started!” he posted on social media Wednesday. “If we found it all, we would literally be able to balance the Budget, and simultaneously reduce Taxes, cutting them even more than I have already done, which is a RECORD!”
House Republicans were set to meet Wednesday with Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to discuss legislative proposals to combat fraud under his agency’s jurisdiction.
“Dr. Oz estimates over $100 billion just in durable medical equipment and hospice fraud,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican. “Imagine over $100 billion just in one agency. … We’re able to take that money, the savings that we get from fraud prevention, and give it back to families.”
As Republicans continue work on the reconciliation measure, the House is also taking up a trio of bills this week focused on combating fraud.
The measures would place new guardrails on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and federal childcare assistance and stop “ghost students” from stealing federal financial aid.
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