Congressional Republicans Cancel Votes on DHS Funding Due to Anger Over ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

Thursday saw Republican senators make clear their displeasure with President Trump’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” canceling votes on and endangering a party-line DHS funding bill. Even normally chipper lawmakers, like Senator John Kennedy, left a meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stone-faced.Mr. Blanche came to Capitol Hill Thursday to answer questions about the fund, which is ostensibly meant to pay anyone who was investigated or prosecuted during the Biden administration. Republican lawmakers worry that the president may be ready to dole out funds for individuals who attacked law enforcement officers at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and want — at the very minimum — guardrails put in place around who would be eligible for the anti-weaponization payouts. Mr. Blanche and the president have made no guarantees that the money would not be for that purpose. During testimony before a Senate committee this week, Mr. Blanche repeatedly said that these matters would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said even Hunter Biden would be eligible to apply, and again declined to rule out payments to violent rioters. Senator Katie Britt, a conservative member of the Appropriations Committee, told reporters that “no one” should want to see those who assaulted law enforcement officers receive money from the government. Senator James Lankford, another conservative, told reporters that Mr. Blanche seemed to understand their concerns, but made no guarantees that such guardrails would be put in place. Senator Susan Collins, the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, seemed more optimistic. “I did raise that issue and that seemed to be what he was saying,” Mr. Collins said when asked if Mr. Blanche would commit to barring violent criminals from getting access to the fund. When asked by the New York Sun if the acting attorney general had assuaged any concerns during the meeting Thursday, Mr. Kennedy — arguably the Hill’s most famous chatterbox — simply remained silent. Senator Bill Cassidy, who just lost his primary for another term to a Trump-backed challenger, walked out of the meeting and told reporters that the DHS funding vote was being postponed until after the Senate returns from recess in two weeks. He declined to comment on any specific issues Thursday, though on Wednesday, he wrote on X that the administration ought to allow Congress to “decide” if the establishment of such a fund is appropriate. After the meeting, the majority leader, Senator John Thune, told reporters that it was incumbent upon the DOJ to come to the Senate with “suggestions” on how to fix the issues about which senators have concerns. After Senate Republicans’ decision to not move forward with DHS funding this week, Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled votes in the House on Friday in order to send his colleagues home early for the Memorial Day recess. In a statement, the Department of Justice seemed to brush off senators’ concerns about the anti-weaponization fund. The DOJ says the fund has nothing to do with the current debate over funding immigration enforcement agencies. “He made clear that the Anti-Weaponization Fund announced Monday has nothing to do with reconciliation, indeed not a single dime from the money the President is seeking in reconciliation would go toward anything having to do with the Fund,” the DOJ said.

Congressional Republicans Cancel Votes on DHS Funding Due to Anger Over ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

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