Senate Republicans are set to convene on Tuesday to strategize their next moves following the Justice Department’s announcement that it will comply with a court order temporarily halting a $1.776 billion settlement fund.
This fund was established to compensate Donald Trump’s political allies, a prospect that has ignited a fierce backlash within the GOP.
The controversial fund, which some senators fear could benefit individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, has stalled crucial legislation. Republicans, who revolted against the settlement before their Memorial Day recess, are demanding more clarity from the administration regarding the fund’s future.
Amid this extraordinary standoff, Trump is reportedly reconsidering whether to proceed with the settlement at all, according to an individual familiar with his thinking.
Caught in the legislative crossfire is a bill intended to fund the president’s immigration enforcement agencies for three years. Republicans abruptly departed Washington without passing it after Democrats threatened to introduce amendments to scrap or significantly scale back the judgment fund.
This move would force Republicans to publicly declare their stance, potentially jeopardizing funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
Returning to Washington on Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed uncertainty about the immigration spending bill’s fate this week, telling reporters, “To be determined.”
The dispute stems from Trump’s unilateral announcement of the fund, made without prior consultation with lawmakers. It was part of a settlement resolving his lawsuit against the IRS concerning the leak of his tax returns.
When news of the settlement broke, the Senate was already navigating the complex passage of the immigration legislation, which included an additional $1 billion for White House security costs, notably for Trump’s ballroom project.
Incensed, Senate Republicans stripped the White House security money from the bill and made it clear they would not pass the legislation unless significant changes were made to the settlement. “I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Senator Thune told reporters on Monday, referring to the fund.
He indicated that Republicans would have a clearer path forward after their weekly conference lunch on Tuesday.
The Justice Department confirmed it would comply with a Friday ruling from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who temporarily paused the fund for two weeks. A hearing is scheduled for June 12 to consider extending the order. While the department stated it “strongly disagrees” with the ruling, it pledged compliance.
However, Republican senators remain unsatisfied, stating Monday evening that they require more explicit details from the administration about what will happen after the deadline before deciding their next steps.
“It’s pretty clear that the president has to say very explicitly that there’s not going to be a weaponization fund,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican.
Oklahoma Senator Jim Lankford echoed this sentiment, stating that Trump administration officials “need to say what they actually mean.” He added, “They need to say, we’re setting this whole thing aside.” Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski commented, “if the settlement is ‘completely pulled, then I’m satisfied. But I haven’t heard anybody say that.’”
Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy acknowledged the administration’s obligation to abide by the court decision, noting, “that’s in the Constitution. I have to know more about their position.”
He warned, “Right now, the reconciliation bill looks like a broken arm with the bones sticking out,” adding, “It won’t move this week, in my opinion, unless we have some resolution on the weaponization account.”
The outrage over the fund reached a peak last month during a closed-door meeting between senators and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, which Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz described on his podcast as “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”
GOP senators have explored various options to curb the fund, including limiting payouts, altering the commission overseeing settlement decisions, introducing judicial review for applicants, or scrapping the fund entirely.
Amid this backlash, a person familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss Trump’s thinking, indicated on Monday that Trump was reconsidering whether to proceed with the fund. However, Trump has not publicly stated his intentions.
Further complicating the situation is Trump’s ongoing campaign-year effort to unseat GOP lawmakers he perceives as disloyal, including some of Senator Thune’s most reliable Republican votes in the narrow 53-47 Senate.
Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas, for instance, lost reelection bids in May after Trump endorsed their primary opponents, raising questions about their future support for his agenda.
“I think it’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in the political atmosphere around us,” Senator Thune remarked before the Senate’s recess.
