Senate Republicans are poised to try to block funding for two of President Donald Trump’s controversial spending wishes: $1 billion for the East Wing expansion and nearly $1.8 billion for an “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” two people familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.<\/p>\n
Republicans are racing to put that package onto the Senate floor for votes as soon as Thursday evening, with hopes of sending it over to the House ahead of the Memorial Day recess and Trump\u2019s June 1 deadline.<\/p>\n
Republicans are looking at ways to use the bill to impose guardrails on Trump\u2019s “anti-weaponization” fund — which would be used to compensate allies who say they have suffered injustices at the hand of the Biden administration and has sparked a wave of criticism, the sources said.<\/p>\n
![\"PHOTO:](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/f7e141d8-db3e-435f-a248-e2ca13427ebe\/trump-weaponization-bill_1779372490708_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Anti-Weaponization")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>FILE – President Donald Trump arrives at Leesburg Executive Airport on Marine One in Leesburg, Va., Thursday, April 24, 2025, en route to Trump National Golf Club Washington DC in Sterling, Va.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jacquelyn Martin\/AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On Wednesday afternoon, some Republicans told reporters that the $1 billion for White House security — including funding for the ballroom — would likely be removed from the bill because there was a lack of GOP support.<\/p>\n Because the text of the new bill hasn’t been made public, it\u2019s not yet clear exactly what restrictions Republicans may try to impose on the “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” the core of the settlement between the Department of Justice and President Trump to resolve his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.<\/p>\n The taxpayer-funded pool of money will be administered by a five-person commission appointed by the acting attorney general with little oversight aside from the president, who could remove members.\u00a0<\/p>\n Republicans could try to embed guardrails for the fund in the actual bill, or they could instead try to offer an amendment addressing the fund once the bill is on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n However, if Republicans don\u2019t do something, it is widely expected that Democrats will certainly try to.<\/p>\n Senate Republicans are aiming to muscle the $70 billion immigration enforcement package through using a budget tool called reconciliation, which will allow them to pass the bill with a simple majority of votes in the Senate instead of the usual 60 votes that it takes to approve most legislative matters.<\/p>\n But before the bill can pass, there will be a voting marathon known as a vote-a-rama, during which lawmakers are able to offer unlimited amendments to the bill.<\/p>\n Democrats are powerless to block this package from passing if Republicans stick together, but Democrats could put forward a number of amendments that force Republicans to take politically tricky votes.<\/p>\n If Republicans do not come up with a clear way to address the “anti-weaponization” fund in their underlying bill or in an amendment that is popular with Republicans who oppose the fund, Democratic-led amendments that look to restrict the fund could very well get the necessary GOP support to pass on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., speaks to supporters during an election night watch party Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Associated Press<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Some Senate Republicans who Trump has publicly scorned in recent weeks have become the fund’s most outspoken critics, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary race in Louisiana after Trump endorsed his opponent.<\/p>\n Cassidy spoke out on Wednesday night, bashing the fund.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent, affording groceries and paying for gas, not about putting together a $1.8 billion fund for the President and his allies to pay whomever they wish with no legal precedent or accountability. This is adding to our national debt. If there needs to be a settlement, the administration should bring it to Congress to decide,\u201d Cassidy wrote in a post on X.<\/p>\n Regardless of what Republicans do, Democrats are expected to use the vote-a-rama to force a number of votes that they hope will pin down Republicans on the fund.<\/p>\n Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal told ABC News on Wednesday that he intends to force votes on amendments to \u201cstop this illegal abhorrent slush fund\u201d during the vote-a-rama.<\/p>\n With enough GOP support, Democrats could have a real chance of putting restraints on — or even eliminating — this fund as part of the massive package. Depending on how Democrats craft their amendments surrounding the IRS fund, it could take as few as four Republican supporters to pass some of them.<\/p>\n What happened to the ballroom funding?<\/strong><\/p>\n The $1 billion that was intended for White House security, including the security aspects of Trump\u2019s ballroom, is being scrapped by Republicans, according to some GOP lawmakers. The Republican lawmakers are saying there isn\u2019t enough support in their conference to move forward with the funding.<\/p>\n A view of the site of ongoing construction of the planned White House ballroom in Washington, May 19, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jacquelyn Martin\/AP Photo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Senate\u2019s rule keeper said over the weekend that $1 billion could not be included in the bill under the Senate rules. Even though some Republicans initially said they\u2019d redraft the measure, a number of GOP senators came out forcefully against the $1 billion allocation and threatened to tank the entire bill if it was not removed.<\/p>\n Democrats were expected to call up a number of amendment votes to try to strip the ballroom funding out of the bill. Those amendments only would have needed the support of four Republicans and likely would have passed.<\/p>\n What will the moderates and those scorned by Trump do?<\/strong><\/p>\n Most, if not all Republican senators, are generally supportive of the immigration enforcement provisions in the package. It is likely that the final bill will ultimately pass.<\/p>\n But this vote-a-rama, which is an exercise that typically requires party discipline, comes at a time when Trump has been increasingly attacking incumbent members of the Senate Republican conference and potentially splintering the conference\u2019s voting bloc.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s attacks could embolden some of those Republicans to break ranks on crucial amendment votes, and there are enough Republicans in this camp that certain Democratic amendments have the ability to pass if GOP leadership doesn\u2019t do enough to satisfy its own members’ concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Election](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/0c004b26-b3bb-476e-9eed-950736d7d507\/wirestory_86e5dba366f4293d32cebcdf9b2a49d2_3x2.jpg?w=375)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>![\"Congress\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e3d13df3-d36c-4ddd-938a-fa8dff07487b\/white-house-3-ap-gmh-260519_1779206422519_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Congress\\"")
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