US Senate rejects Trumps proposed anti-weaponization funding of $1.8 billion

Senate Republicans Delay Vote on Immigration Enforcement Funds Ahead of Memorial Day Recess

A planned vote on a $72 billion funding bill for immigration enforcement operations has been delayed by Senate Republicans in a rare show of dissent. The bill, which would have funded President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, was set to be voted on Thursday but was put on hold due to internal party concerns.

The decision comes after two recent decisions from the Trump administration sparked pushback from within the president’s own party. On Monday, the administration announced a lawsuit settlement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which included an “anti-weaponisation” fund of nearly $1.8 billion. Critics argue that this fund poses a conflict of interest and would serve as a cash cow for Trump supporters.

Nebraska Senator Don Bacon expressed concerns about the issue, stating that it has shaken Trump’s Republican backing. Another Republican senator, Thom Tillis, denounced the “anti-weaponisation” fund, calling it “stupid on stilts.” The Senate will return from its recess in June and is expected to pick up where it left off.

Additionally, the House of Representatives cancelled a vote on a war powers resolution designed to force Trump to seek congressional approval for the US-Israeli war against Iran. A similar bill had passed the Senate earlier this week, but the House was set to hold its own vote on Thursday afternoon. The decision has been delayed until June, after the Memorial Day recess.

The delay in the immigration enforcement funding bill and the cancellation of the war powers resolution have sparked accusations from Democrats that Republicans are engaging in political maneuvering.

Source: Al Jazeera