Senate Republicans narrowly blocked a Democratic effort on Thursday to prevent President Trump from establishing a $1.8 billion fund to compensate his allies. The vote on the amendment, sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, came during an extended series of amendment votes on a $70 billion budget reconciliation package designed to fund immigration enforcement agencies.
Schumer's amendment sought to insert language into Republican-backed legislation that would bar the Department of Justice from creating the so-called "anti-weaponization" fund. The measure failed 49-50, with three Republican senators breaking ranks to support the effort alongside all Democrats.
The three Republicans who voted with Democrats were Susan Collins of Maine, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Jon Husted of Ohio. All three represent seats considered vulnerable in upcoming midterm elections. Collins is the only Republican senator from a state won by Kamala Harris in 2024, while recent polling showed Husted trailing his Democratic challenger by significant margins.
The amendment vote stretched for hours as senators huddled on the chamber floor to discuss the contentious proposal. The dispute over the fund has exposed deep divisions within the Republican Party, even as the administration had previously indicated it would not move forward with the initiative. However, Schumer insisted that Congress should pass legislation to permanently block the fund from being used.
"Republicans are trusting the word of Todd Blanche, who built a career on lying," Schumer said, referring to the acting attorney general. He noted that Trump had expressed his enthusiasm for the fund just the previous day, calling it "so important." Schumer questioned whether Trump could resist using the fund for personal benefit.
The larger $70 billion bill will fund immigration agencies through 2029. Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to pass it without Democratic support and avoid the filibuster. The reconciliation rules allow lawmakers to propose amendments before passage.
After Schumer's amendment failed, Republican Senator Thom Tillis proposed alternative language that would have prevented payouts from the anti-weaponization fund and instead directed that money toward Justice Department efforts to combat fraud. "This bill is unpopular. This administration has said they're not moving forward with it. This is an opportunity for us to put it to bed," Tillis said.
Democrats rejected Tillis's proposal. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley argued that simply replacing one fund with another under the attorney general's control was insufficient. "The way to go is to get rid of these slush funds altogether," Merkley said. Tillis's amendment failed with support from only 11 other Republicans and three Democrats.
The standoff has complicated Republicans' efforts to settle a broader disagreement with Democrats over funding for immigration enforcement agencies, a dispute that previously sparked a 75-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.