Senate Passes $70B Immigration Bill. The $1.8B Slush Fund for Jan 6 Rioters? Still Alive.

The Senate passed $70B for ICE and Border Patrol but refused to ban Trump's $1.8B 'anti-weaponization' fund. The Silicon Review asks: why are Democrats funding deportation while Republicans protect payouts for Jan 6 rioters?

The Senate finally did it. At 5 a.m., after an 18-hour vote-a-rama, Republicans pushed through a $70 billion bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the rest of President Trump's term. The vote was 52-47, nearly party line. One Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted no. All Democrats voted no.

Democrats had blocked this funding for months. They wanted reforms. They wanted restrictions on tactics like raids in sensitive locations. They wanted accountability after two protesters were fatally shot by federal agents in Minnesota in January. Republicans refused. So they used budget reconciliation to bypass the filibuster and shove it through.

"The American people have asked Congress time and time again to reform the Department of Homeland Security, but my colleagues across the aisle again refused. Instead, they passed yet another massive funding package for ICE and CBP with no reforms or guardrails. It's outrageous." — Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)

But here is what was not in the bill. Any limit on the president's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. That is the settlement fund critics call a slush fund that could pay out to the January 6 rioters who attacked the Capitol.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday that the fund was dead. "We are not moving forward with the fund, period," he said. But Trump? He told reporters the next day that he "doesn't know" if it is really dead. He said the settlement is "very important." 

Senate Republicans had a choice. They could have attached an amendment to kill the fund permanently. They had multiple chances. They voted them all down.

The $70 billion bill now goes to the House. It will pass there too.

So here is the bottom line. The Senate just voted to give ICE and Border Patrol $70 billion. At the same time, it voted to leave the door open for Trump to pay his own political allies, including the people who beat police officers and stormed the Capitol. The money for deportation is locked in. The guardrails to stop corruption are locked out.

As the Senate passes $70 billion for immigration enforcement while refusing to ban Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund, The Silicon Review asks: why is Congress so quick to fund mass deportation but so slow to block a payout fund that could reward the people who attacked the Capitol?

Q: How much money did the Senate approve for immigration enforcement?
A: The Senate approved $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The funding will last for three years, through the remainder of President Trump's term.

Q: Did any Republicans vote against the $70 billion immigration bill?
A: Yes. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican to vote no, citing concerns about bypassing regular order. All Democrats also voted no. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado missed the vote.

Q: Why did Senate Republicans need to use budget reconciliation for this bill?
A: Democrats had blocked the funding for months, demanding policy changes after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January. Reconciliation allows spending bills to pass with a simple majority (51 votes) instead of the usual 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

Q: What is Trump's $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund?
A: It is a settlement fund created as part of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. It was intended to compensate people who believe they were unfairly targeted by the government. Critics call it a "slush fund" that could potentially pay out to January 6 rioters.

Q: Did the Senate pass any amendments to ban Trump's slush fund?
A: No. Republicans defeated multiple amendments to ban or restrict the fund. One amendment from Sen. Bill Cassidy would have redirected the money to law enforcement officers injured on Jan. 6. It failed. Another from Sen. Thom Tillis would have moved the money to a DOJ anti-fraud fund. It also failed.

Q: Did the Justice Department say the slush fund is dead?
A: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday that the administration is "not moving forward with the fund, period." However, President Trump later said he "doesn't know" if it is really dead and called the settlement "very important," leaving its fate uncertain.