Senate moving forward with reconciliation bill, dropping ballroom funds [View all]
Source: CBS News
Washington Senate Republicans are moving forward with a package to fund the Department of Homeland Security's immigration agencies on Wednesday, following a back-and-forth over the Justice Department's "anti-weaponization" fund that threatened to derail the long-sought funding.
A revised version of one part of the package released Wednesday also dropped language that would have provided $1 billion in security funding for the Secret Service, including for President Trump's East Wing renovation, where he plans to build a massive ballroom. That funding faced intense scrutiny from a handful of Republicans, prompting senators to abandon it.
Last month, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees unveiled the initial text of the $72 billion package, which funds immigration agencies through fiscal year 2029. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a motion to proceed to the measure during a vote series beginning at 2:15 p.m.
GOP senators have been seeking assurances from the administration about the fate of the controversial Justice Department fund, which was the subject of a heated meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche two weeks ago. Blanche testified before a House committee on Tuesday that "we are not moving forward with the fund."
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/senate-prepares-move-forward-reconciliation-153805782.html