Senate Republicans looked gloomy after a tense meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Then they decided to leave town.
Mr. Trump’s core is loyalty. Sway voters? There aren’t that many.
President Trump’s base remains loyal, but the voters who will decide the election are turning away, putting pressure on Republicans heading into November.
WASHINGTON – Furious over President Donald Trump’s roughly $1.8 billion Justice Department fund that could potentially compensate allies, Senate Republicans stalled a massive immigration enforcement bill and left town until early June.
Concerns about the so-called “anti-weaponization fund” came to a head Thursday morning during a meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. On January 6, 2021, the top Justice Department lawyer was called to the Capitol to allay concerns from lawmakers about what Democrats characterized as a “slush fund” that could fund individuals involved in the riot.
“So the highest law enforcement official in this country is asking for slush funds to pay people who assault police officers?” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement after the rally. “It’s completely stupid and morally wrong. Make your own choices.”
Senate Republicans emerged sober from a rally with Mr. Branch, Mr. Trump’s former personal lawyer. Eventually, they decided to return home, betting on a vote on a months-long budget bill that would inject more than $70 billion into federal immigration enforcement agencies. President Trump originally told Congressional Republicans to pass that funding by June 1, but the new delay means Republicans have largely waived that deadline.
“It’s clear that our members have very legitimate questions,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota), acknowledging that Republican senators want to “ensure that the Justice Department’s funds are appropriately ring-fenced.”
“It makes everything more difficult than it needs to be,” he later said.
The sudden decision was a clear sign of the escalating conflict between Senate Republicans and the White House. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) became free agents in the Republican conference after Mr. Cassidy lost his re-election campaign and Mr. Trump refused to endorse Mr. Cornyn, angering many of his longtime colleagues. The president also endorsed Cassidy’s primary opponent, preventing him from advancing to a runoff and making him a lame duck senator until January.
It all happened amidst the sudden creation of a controversial Justice Department fund, of which Thune immediately said he was “not a big fan.”
The backlash is already jeopardizing the president’s legislative agenda in a midterm election year that will determine the success of his remaining second term.
“They’re stuck. They’re confused,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of Republicans. “And it’s a spectacle.”
Justice Department tries to quash senators
As Republican senators prepare to vote on immigration enforcement funding this week, some have begun eyeing the budget bill as a potential legislative move to break through the Justice Department’s funding guardrails. Other lawmakers, including Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), opposed the push.
“I don’t understand why anyone would do anything else,” he said.
To quell Republican agitation, the Justice Department sent a memo to lawmakers outlining restrictions on so-called “anti-weaponization” funds.
In a memo obtained by USA TODAY, the agency said lawmakers themselves may also be able to receive taxpayer money through the fund. Targeted Americans could include “Americans whose online speech is censored by government order, parents forced to remain silent on school boards, senators who are secretly subpoenaed, and churchgoers targeted by the FBI.”
A quarterly report on which Americans received relief will be produced and shared with Congress, the memo said (albeit with redactions). The fund plans to stop processing claims in 2028 and return any remaining funds to the federal government.
The memo did little to allay Republican concerns. The tense talks ended without any concrete compromise between Trump administration officials and lawmakers.
“This will be a call for leadership,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas).
Contributed by: Reuters
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him at @ZachSchermele on X and @zachschermele.bsky.social on Bluesky.
