Congress barrels toward deadline pile-up as GOP divisions threaten Trump agenda
Congress returns facing looming deadlines, unfinished business and internal Republican divisions as the midterm elections draw closer.Lawmakers left Washington ahead of Memorial Day on the cusp of passing a massive...
By Fox News · Fox News
Congress returns facing looming deadlines, unfinished business and internal Republican divisions as the midterm elections draw closer. Lawmakers left Washington ahead of Memorial Day on the cusp of passing a massive immigration enforcement funding package. Doing so would have allowed Republicans to tackle other outstanding priorities. Instead, the budget reconciliation process — which Republicans planned to use to funnel roughly $72 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — stalled after a surprise move by the Trump administration exposed deep divisions within the GOP. SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION' FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING Now, the setback in the reconciliation process threatens to further push back other key agenda items, including the fast-approaching deadline to reauthorize a critical spy law, a colossal defense policy bill and a potential affordability-focused legislative package. The Senate is currently stuck on the reconciliation package after the Department of Justice unveiled its nearly $2 billion "anti-weaponization" fund geared to provide payouts to those who feel wronged by the government. Senate Republicans erupted over the fund during a closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, demanding answers on whether people convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots of Jan. 6, 2021, would be allowed to get access to the taxpayer-funded money. Little has changed between the Senate GOP and administration since then, with Republicans putting the onus of dealing with the issue onto the White House. "The administration appreciated last week’s conversation and feedback," a White House official told Fox News Digital. "We look forward to additional conversations as needed." TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON $1.8 BILLION 'SLUSH FUND' THAT KILLED HIS AGENDA, SPURRED REPUBLICAN REBELLION The House is expected to take up the budget reconciliation bill upon Senate passage. But with no…