The Senate is expected to launch into a voting blitz on Thursday morning as it moves toward passing a budget reconciliation package that would fund immigration enforcement agencies. A 53-46 party-line vote kicked off hours of debate, followed by a series of unlimited back-to-back amendment votes before final passage is expected later this week. An updated bill released (ONE PAGER; SECTION by SECTION) Wednesday omits $1 billion in Secret Service security funding that had been included in an earlier draft and could have been used for President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project and also strips out Justice Department funding unrelated to the controversial settlement fund — a move that GOP leaders made in hopes of making it harder to include language restricting or eliminating the fund. Top Republicans have warned that adding such language could threaten to tank the overall bill. The bill would send nearly $70 billion to two federal agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The money would allow the agencies to operate through the end of President Trump’s term in a controversial end run around the typical appropriations process. If action in the Senate is successful, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said the House could vote on the package as early as Friday morning.
However, several GOP senators signaled late Wednesday they are still interested in adding language to block the fund, even after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told House appropriators Tuesday that the administration would not move forward with it. While Blanche’s testimony was aimed at assuring GOP senators, his refusal to put the decision in writing and his praise for the underlying purpose of the fund — compensating Trump allies and others who were subject to allegedly politically motivated prosecutions — left some very wary. Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said Wednesday he would file his own amendment to completely eliminate the fund, though he acknowledged the parliamentarian could rule it needs to clear a 60-vote threshold to be added in rather than a simple majority of senators.
The House reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and at 4 P.M. is expected to begin work to Complete Consideration of Democrat Discharge Petition H. Res. 518 – Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2913) to authorize support for Ukraine and Complete Consideration of H. Con. Res. 84 – Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon. Later today, the House will take up Pursuant to a Rule: H.R. 8646 – Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agency Appropriations Act- 2027 (SUMMARY) and the Democrat Discharge Petition H.R. 2913 – Ukraine Support Act.
