Topline
Senate Republicans early on Friday passed a $70 billion legislation to fund agencies overseeing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown for the next three years, after circumventing a bipartisan push to make additions to the bill that would have permanently blocked Trump’s controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., walks from the chamber to his office at the Capitol in Washington.
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Key Facts
The legislation to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol funded for the rest of Trump’s term, passed 52-47 shortly before 5 a.m.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was the only GOP senator who voted no.
The bill was passed through a budget reconciliation process, which allowed Republicans to circumvent the Democratic filibuster while allowing Democrats to force a series of amendment votes.
The so-called vote-a-rama process lasted several hours and saw multiple attempts by both Democrats and Republicans to add amendments that would have permanently banned the “anti-weaponization” fund.
The Democrats’ proposal to ban the fund narrowly failed to pass 50-49, but saw three GOP senators who are up for reelection—Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska—vote along with them.
Two other Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La. and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who recently lost to primary challengers backed by Trump, also tried to push their own amendments to block or repurpose the the $1.8 billion fund.
Crucial Quote
After the legislation was passed, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, tweeted: “Senate Republicans delivered yet again by approving $69.5 billion to fund Border Patrol and ICE through President Trump’s entire second term. We were forced to use the reconciliation process because Democrats objected – during the appropriations process – to giving any money to Border Patrol and ICE, effectively shutting our border security down at a time of growing threats to the nation. I’m very proud of my Republican colleagues for sticking together and making sure that Border Patrol and ICE are fully funded and the border continues to be modernized and secured – all without one Democrat vote.”
Chief Critic
In a statement issued after the bill’s passage, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said: “Republicans refused to permanently outlaw Trump’s $2 billion slush fund, leaving taxpayers to rely on nothing more than a promise from Donald Trump’s personal fixer. That is not accountability. That is a permission slip. They pumped another $70 billion into Trump’s personal police force, defended Trump’s corrupt ballroom, and protected his slush fund for cop-beaters-all while voting against Senate Democrats’ efforts to lower the cost of housing, health care, gas, and childcare.”
tangent
During the vote-a-rama, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., pushed for an amendment that would have banned the use of federal funds or private donations to build Trump’s White House ballroom without congressional approval. The measure gained support from six GOP senators—Collins, Husted, Tillis, Sullivan, Murkowski and Jerry Moran of Kansas—but didn’t receive the necessary 60 votes needed to pass.