Senate reconciliation – The Senate is set to move forward with a fiscal-year 2029 funding package for Homeland Security immigration agencies on Wednesday after a tense dispute over a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” program. A revised version also removed $1 billion in Secret
On Wednesday, the Senate is set to take another step toward funding the immigration agencies within the Department of Homeland Security—pushing past a weeks-long fight that had threatened to derail the broader package.
The motion to proceed is scheduled during a vote series beginning at 2:15 p.m. as Senate Republicans work to finish a long-sought bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration agencies through fiscal year 2029. The path to that vote has been shaped by a different controversy: a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund that drew sharp pushback on Capitol Hill and triggered a heated meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche two weeks earlier.
The latest version released Wednesday adds another twist. It drops language that would have provided $1 billion in security funding for the Secret Service—funding that included support for President Trump’s East Wing renovation. where he plans to build a massive ballroom. That proposal faced intense scrutiny from a handful of Republicans, and senators abandoned it.
Last month, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees unveiled the initial text of the $72 billion package. The dispute now centers on whether Republicans have the assurances they need about the Justice Department’s controversial program—one aimed at providing taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who alleged the federal government had been “weaponized” against them.
Brought into the open through testimony, Blanche told a House committee on Tuesday that “we are not moving forward with the fund.” His comments came as GOP senators sought clarity on the program’s fate, after a heated meeting on the subject.
Still, some Republicans remained unconvinced that the fund is truly dead—even after Blanche’s assurances. During a public hearing under oath, Blanche refused to put anything in writing, and several senators signaled that verbal assurances might not be enough.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he felt confident after the testimony that Republicans have the support necessary to proceed Wednesday. “We’re hopeful,” Thune told reporters at the Capitol, adding that he is “keeping fingers crossed.”
Thune said that “most of our members feel pretty satisfied” with Blanche’s comments. He pointed out that the remarks were made during a public hearing under oath. “His comments were extremely helpful,” Thune said. “Whether they are enough for some of our members, we’ll find out.”
But skepticism is still present among a handful of Republicans. Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas both signaled Tuesday that Blanche’s words may not settle the matter for everyone.
Cornyn anticipated that Blanche’s comments may not be “good enough for some people.” The Texas Republican. who lost his primary last week after the president backed his opponent. shared a Wall Street Journal editorial on Wednesday morning arguing that Republicans in Congress can kill the DOJ fund for good by barring money for its use.
Tillis said he will offer an amendment on the reconciliation bill to address the fund. He argued that additional action is necessary to assure the fund is defunct.
“I think even DOJ knows that this was a bad idea and what we need to do is provide finality,” Tillis said. “They’ve said that they’ve quiesced the program, then why can’t we just take the step of statutorily eliminate the question, so that a future decision to reopen it is eliminated?”
The Senate’s movement on reconciliation comes after months of Democrats opposing funding for the immigration enforcement agencies. Republicans have moved forward with their plan on their own through the budget reconciliation process. which sidesteps the 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation.
Senate reconciliation bill Department of Homeland Security immigration agencies fiscal year 2029 $72 billion package Justice Department anti-weaponization fund acting Attorney General Todd Blanche John Thune Thom Tillis John Cornyn Secret Service East Wing renovation presidential ballroom