Senate passes – The Senate passed a $70 billion bill early Wednesday to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years, after an overnight fight over a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund tied to the Trump administration. The measure cleared party-line votes
By early morning, the Senate had pushed through a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill after weeks of delays—yet the vote still felt less like an end point than a signal flare.
Lawmakers spent 18 hours passing the package, with senators voting along party lines. Only one Republican opposed the funding. The bill would finance immigration enforcement for the next three years. and it moved forward just after an extended clash over a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund tied to the Trump administration.
Democrats and many Republicans had warned that the fight over that fund was turning into a roadblock inside Congress. Even so, GOP lawmakers voted overnight to block many amendments that would displease the president. In one twist. three Republicans joined Democrats to back a proposal from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that would have prevented the creation of the fund altogether. That effort fell just short of passing.
Another amendment aimed at redirecting the money toward fraud enforcement drew more Republican support, but it also failed to win the votes.
The same pattern played out with the SAVE America Act. It was offered as an amendment overnight, but it failed to pass in the Senate.
The timing of these votes underscored how sharp the relationship is becoming between Congress and the White House. President Trump has emphasized that an election overhaul bill should be a top priority for his congressional allies—while lawmakers struggled to settle other disputes that carry immediate institutional stakes.
Those tensions did not ease elsewhere in Washington overnight. John Bolton—who served as President Trump’s national security adviser—agreed to plead guilty to mishandling classified information. Bolton was indicted in October on 18 criminal counts related to the retention and transmission of national defense information. Prosecutors said that during his time as national security adviser under Trump’s first term. Bolton regularly took handwritten notes about his daily activities. including information he received during meetings with U.S. intelligence officials and discussions with foreign leaders. The prosecutors said he would then send some of that sensitive information to two family members. either through a messaging app or via email.
The plea deal is tentative and still requires approval from a federal judge. Bolton has said he believes he is being targeted for political reasons because of his outspoken criticism of Trump. Former senior intelligence officials have said there are valid legal grounds for the case. The investigation started under the Biden administration and continued into Trump’s presidency. The indictment is also 26 pages long with detailed allegations. Ryan Lucas said the list of the president’s perceived enemies targeted by the DOJ is long. and that the public could come to see a legitimate investigation as driven by politics and revenge—potentially threatening the DOJ’s legitimacy.
Elsewhere in public policy. a new NPR/Ipsos poll of K-12 teachers found that nearly three-quarters believe artificial intelligence has greater implications for education than past innovations such as the internet or computers. The nationally representative poll surveyed 545 respondents. Many educators said they are using AI to save time and enhance teaching materials. A majority said they are concerned AI could hinder students’ ability to think for themselves. The poll also found that students are not yet widely using AI in the classroom.
Still, 60% of teachers reported using AI for work-related tasks. While most of those teachers believe AI helps them save time, 63% estimate they save two hours or fewer per week.
And in a separate fight over access to information. the gun control advocacy group Brady sued the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco. Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Justice over their refusal to release documents identifying the largest sellers of crime guns in the U.S. The lawsuit was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Brady asked the court to compel the ATF to release information related to “Demand Letter 2s.” Those letters are sent by the ATF to gun dealers and other sellers identified as selling at least 25 firearms recovered at crime scenes in a calendar year.
The ATF said it withheld the letters because releasing them could inadvertently reveal personal details. confidential trade secrets. and commercial or financial information. potentially leading to an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Brady said it has collected this information from the ATF before and has compiled it into tracking databases and reports it posts on its website.
The day also brought renewed focus on the politics of family and power. Former first lady Jill Biden said President Biden changed his mind on pardoning his son Hunter after the election of Trump. Hunter was convicted on federal gun and tax charges in 2024. After the conviction, former President Trump said publicly he would not pardon his son. Then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly told the press that a pardon or commutation was off the table. But in the final weeks of his presidency, Biden signed a full and unconditional pardon for his son.
On NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast. Jill Biden discussed with All Things Considered host Scott Detrow how then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding Hunter’s cases influenced her husband to reconsider the pardon. She also shared her experiences in the White House. her reaction to her husband’s poor debate performance. and the reasons behind his decision to run for a second term.
Back on Capitol Hill, the Senate’s immigration vote offered movement on funding. But the overnight battles over the nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. the failed SAVE America Act. and the inability to advance amendments aimed at blocking or redirecting the disputed money all left the same impression: the fight is not just about policy—it’s about leverage. timing. and who gets to set the agenda.
U.S. Senate immigration enforcement $70 billion bill anti-weaponization fund Trump administration Chuck Schumer SAVE America Act election overhaul bill John Thune Jill Biden Hunter Biden pardon
70 billion?? for immigration?? sounds like they’re just throwing money at it.
I don’t even get why they can’t just pass it without all the drama. “anti-weaponization” fund?? that sounds like something the public should’ve already seen, not a secret fight overnight. Party lines again, shocker.
So they passed $70B but like only after arguing about some Trump “anti-weaponization” money right? I feel like this is just Congress doing hostage negotiations with itself. Also amendments being blocked sounds like they’re protecting the president, not the people. Or maybe it’s the other way around, idk.
18 hours passing a bill for enforcement for 3 years and only one Republican opposed it… that’s wild. Does “anti-weaponization” mean they’re stopping weapons at the border or just politicians weaponizing stuff? Because I swear I saw something similar on TikTok where it was like the Democrats created the fund or whatever. This article is kinda vague but the vibes are bad.