Thune on Trump’s anti-weaponization fund & reconciliation

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Tuesday he hopes acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s upcoming testimony to Congress will confirm the Justice Department’s controversial “anti-weaponization” fund has been abandoned, allowing lawmakers to move forward with a reconciliation bill.

“I think his statements are going to be very definitive, very clear, and create the certainty that I hope all of our members and House members need as well in order for us to proceed on the reconciliation bill,” he told reporters. “But I’m not guaranteeing that happens yet. We’re still continuing to have conservations with our members.”

GOP senators revolted last month over the creation of the fund, which was intended to compensate people who say they were victims of “lawfare and weaponization” under past Democratic administrations, forcing leaders to cancel planned votes on a reconciliation package to fund ICE and Border Patrol.

The administration on Monday said it would “abide by” a temporary court order halting payments from the fund, but Republican senators are seeking a more definitive statement that the program is being abandoned.

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