In a pivotal move, the Senate voted strictly along party lines on Wednesday to initiate discussions on a proposed $70 billion budget dedicated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This decision represents significant progress toward achieving one of the key priorities of the Trump administration.
The 53-46 vote paves the path for the Senate to engage in a series of amendment deliberations on Thursday, an event often referred to by Capitol Hill veterans as a “vote-a-rama.” Many of these amendments, introduced by Democrats, aim to eliminate the establishment of a $1.776 billion settlement fund intended to compensate victims of perceived government overreach, a contentious issue that previously threatened the bill’s advancement.
“The immediate objective is to get the foundational bill approved,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) conveyed to journalists following the vote on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, at the White House, President Trump stood firmly behind the settlement fund during an interaction with reporters, asserting, “I love it” and “I think it’s so important.”
When pressed on whether the fund was permanently shelved or merely paused, in light of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s statement to lawmakers that “we are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Trump replied, “I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know.”
In response to Trump’s remarks, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took to social media platform X to assert that this situation underscores precisely why Democrats are pushing for votes to prohibit the fund, rather than relying solely on the White House’s assurances.
Some Republicans also planned to try and put Blanche’s promise in writing. Sen. Thom Tillis, (R-NC), has said he will offer an amendment to block any attempt at resurrecting the fund.
“We’ve got a sufficient number of Republicans who have been very clear they’ve got concerns there,” said Tillis.
Thune said earlier on Wednesday that Blanche’s comments were “extremely helpful” and that he thought most GOP senators were satisfied.
With Post wires
