Senate Republicans stall immigration funding

Senate Republicans went home for the Memorial Day recess on Thursday without advancing a package that would have provided billions of dollars for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the rest of President Donald Trump’s term. The immediate obstacle was not Democratic opposition but Republican resistance to two politically volatile add-ons: a $1 billion White House security request tied to Trump’s planned ballroom project and a nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” GOP leaders had been trying to move the broader immigration money through budget reconciliation, a process that can bypass a Senate filibuster, but the effort ran into both procedural limits and a split conference. (cnbc.com) (pbs.org) (abc7ny.com) ### Why did the Senate leave without a vote? John Thune, the Senate majority leader, adjourned the chamber Thursday without putting the immigration funding package on the floor. CNBC reported the Senate left town without considering the Department of Homeland Security measure, while ABC News said the break pushes the process until at least after the weeklong Memorial Day recess. The bill had been designed to provide a major funding increase for immigration enforcement agencies, with outside reports describing it as roughly a $70 billion to $72 billion package. But Republicans did not have agreement inside their own ranks on what should stay in the measure and what had to be removed. (pbs.org) ### What set off the Republican revolt? The $1 billion White House security proposal became an early problem for GOP leaders. PBS, citing the Associated Press, reported Senate Republicans were expected to abandon the request after members of their own party questioned the timing and the lack of detail behind the Secret Service proposal. (cnbc.com) The larger fight centered on the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” ABC News reported Republicans were looking for ways to impose guardrails on the fund, which stems from a settlement between the Justice Department and Trump over his lawsuit against the IRS. CNBC said the fund became a flashpoint because it could provide payouts to Trump allies and other people claiming they were improperly targeted under the Biden administration. (upi.com) ### Why couldn’t Republicans just pass it on their own? Budget reconciliation was the reason Republicans thought they could move the package without Democratic votes. Under that process, a bill can pass the Senate with a simple majority if its provisions comply with the chamber’s budget rules. (pbs.org) The Senate parliamentarian had already ruled that the White House security provision, as drafted, did not fit those rules. CNBC reported on May 18 that the ruling blocked the $1 billion ballroom-related provision from inclusion in the immigration bill, and Thune said Republicans would try a revised approach. Even with procedural clearance, Republicans still needed close to full support from their own conference. (abcnews.com) ABC News reported that Democrats could not stop the package if Republicans stayed united, but that unity was missing this week. ### What happens when senators return? The next step comes after the Memorial Day recess, when Senate Republicans are expected to revisit a revised version of the package. (spectrumlocalnews.com) ABC News reported the updated bill text had not yet been released as senators left town, leaving open what restrictions might be placed on the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and whether any White House-related funding survives in altered form. (cnbc.com) Any new draft will still face two tests: a ruling from the parliamentarian on disputed provisions and a head count inside the Republican conference. Until those are resolved, the immigration enforcement package remains stalled. (spectrumlocalnews.com) (abcnews.com)