Washington — The Senate is set to begin what’s expected to be a marathon vote series on Thursday as Republicans seek to fund immigration agencies under the Department of Homeland Security without help from Democrats.
After a series of fits and starts over President Trump’s White House ballroom and the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund, the chamber is moving ahead with the reconciliation process, beginning with what’s known as a “vote-a-rama” on Thursday morning. During the vote-a-rama, senators can offer an unlimited number of amendments and require the chamber to cast vote after vote.
Democrats — and some Republicans — are expected to force a number of votes aimed at restricting the DOJ fund, which aimed to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who alleged the federal government had been “weaponized” against them. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before a House committee earlier this week that “we are not moving forward with the fund.” But his refusal to put anything in writing, and the president’s continued praise for the plan, have made some senators skeptical.
The announcement of the fund last month threatened to derail the funding for DHS’ immigration enforcement agencies. Senate Republicans have been seeking to fund the agencies for months, but faced opposition from Democrats after two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. And after negotiations over possible reforms to the agencies fell apart, Senate Republicans opted to pursue the funding on their own through budget reconciliation.
The process allows Republicans to bypass the 60-vote threshold needed to advance most legislation and move forward with a simple majority of members.
As Republicans were poised to begin the marathon vote series last month, the administration’s announcement of the fund put GOP senators in a difficult position, with Democrats eager to force them to take vote after vote on the controversial payouts. Republican leaders ultimately scrapped plans to begin voting, and the chamber recessed without making progress. But upon their return this week, Republicans quickly worked to gain assurances from the administration, and appeared more confident in their path forward.
Even with the assurances from the administration, Democrats will take the opportunity to hammer Republicans over the fund Thursday. But the amendments set to be brought by Republicans will be the most noteworthy.
GOP Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have filed amendments related to the fund. Both senators are retiring at the end of this Congress, and have been more willing to break with their party than their colleagues. Whether they’re joined by other Republicans who occasionally cross the aisle, or the newly unleashed Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, remains to be seen.
Republicans were already forced to do away with funding related to the president’s renovation of the White House’s East Wing, where he plans to build a massive ballroom. The initial reconciliation package included $1 billion for the Secret Service for security related to the complex. But it was stripped from the final bill after pushback from a number of Senate Republicans.
The marathon vote series marks the beginning of bringing to an end a long saga over fiscal year 2026 government funding, which prompted a 43-day shutdown last fall, followed by a partial government shutdown earlier this year. With the rest of the government funded, Republicans are looking to close the loop on the final agencies, while guaranteeing they remain funded through the end of the Trump administration.
