Senate Republicans cleared a significant hurdle Wednesday in their effort to advance one of President Donald Trump’s top priorities, voting to begin debate on a $70 billion package designed to boost funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
The 53-46 party-line vote sets the stage for a marathon amendment session Thursday, the familiar Capitol Hill ritual known as a “vote-a-rama,” where senators will have the opportunity to offer dozens of amendments before the chamber moves toward final passage.
For Republican leaders, the objective is simple.
“Right now, the goal is to get the base bill across the finish line,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters after the vote.
Yet despite broad Republican support for the border security package itself, one controversial provision has dominated much of the debate.
At the center of the dispute is a proposed $1.776 billion settlement fund intended to compensate individuals who supporters argue were victims of government weaponization. Critics have attacked the proposal as a political payoff fund, creating resistance not only from Democrats but also from several Republicans.
The controversy nearly derailed the legislation before debate even began.
At the White House, Trump made it clear he remains a fan of the idea.
“I love it,” the president said when asked about the fund.
“I think it’s so important.”
But confusion emerged after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday that the administration was abandoning the proposal.
“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said.
That appeared to settle the issue—until Trump was asked directly whether the fund was dead.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know,” the president replied.
That answer immediately reignited concerns on Capitol Hill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed to Trump’s comments as evidence that Democrats should not simply accept assurances from the administration.
“This is EXACTLY why” Democrats will push amendments permanently banning the fund, Schumer wrote on X.
The skepticism is not limited to Democrats.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has announced plans to introduce an amendment that would formally prohibit any future attempt to revive the settlement fund.
“We’ve got a sufficient number of Republicans who have been very clear they’ve got concerns there,” Tillis said.
The fact that Republicans are considering amendments to block a proposal backed by Trump underscores how contentious the issue has become within the GOP.
Still, Republican leadership believes the controversy is manageable.
Thune said Blanche’s testimony was “extremely helpful” and suggested most Republican senators now feel comfortable moving forward with the broader legislation.
The bill also faced another obstacle involving approximately $1 billion in White House security funding, including funding connected to Trump’s planned ballroom project. That provision generated enough resistance that it was ultimately removed from the package.
With those issues largely addressed, attention now shifts to the amendment process and the final vote.
House Republicans are eager to move quickly if the Senate can complete its work.
“We just need to make sure everybody’s there,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Wednesday.
Republicans are advancing the legislation through budget reconciliation, allowing them to bypass the Senate filibuster and pass the measure without Democratic support. It is the same procedural tool Republicans used to enact the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed into law on Independence Day last year.
