The Senate opened a grueling, non-stop voting session on Thursday by killing a Democratic attempt to permanently ax the Justice Department’s controversial “anti-weaponization” fund.
The 49-to-50 vote kicked off a legislative “vote-a-rama,” a marathon process allowing endless amendments as Republicans push through a $70 billion immigration enforcement package. Because the GOP is using a budget process called reconciliation, they can pass the massive funding bill for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol without needing a single Democratic vote.
The failed Democratic amendment sought to send the package back to the Judiciary Committee with strict orders to strip the DOJ fund, which is designed to give taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals claiming the federal government targeted them. The vote required a simple majority but exposed clear fractures within the Republican party. Three Republicans—Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio, and Dan Sullivan of Alaska—broke ranks to vote with Democrats.
A dramatic visual unfolded on the Senate floor as Husted, Sullivan, and Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana withheld their votes for more than two hours. Cassidy, who recently lost his primary after President Trump endorsed his opponent, was seen negotiating with GOP leadership before ultimately voting against the Democratic measure.
Moments later, a second amendment regarding the fund, introduced by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, failed in a 15-to-84 landslide. Tillis wanted to redirect the money to fraud enforcement. Eleven Republicans, including Cassidy and Collins, voted for it alongside three Democrats: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.
Skepticism over the fund remains high, even with recent administration pushback. Earlier this week, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before a House committee, stating, “we are not moving forward with the fund.” However, Blanche’s refusal to put that promise in writing, paired with the president’s public praise for the payouts, has kept lawmakers on edge.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune defended the administration’s stance to reporters on Thursday morning, calling Blanche’s testimony “definitive.”
“I know that the president has mixed views about this, but the person who would set that up would be the attorney general,” Thune said.
Democrats continue to use the issue to pressure the GOP, which has already had to make concessions on the spending package. Republicans recently stripped out $1 billion originally earmarked for Secret Service security at a massive new ballroom President Trump wants to build in the White House East Wing, following internal pushback from several GOP senators.
This marathon voting session represents the final stretch of a chaotic fight over fiscal year 2026 government funding. The dispute previously triggered a 43-day total government shutdown last fall and a partial shutdown earlier this year. With other federal agencies already taken care of, Republicans are trying to lock down immigration funding through the end of the Trump presidency.
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