Senate rejects an initial attempt to ban Trump's $1.8-billion 'anti-weaponization' fund
Key takeaways
- It was the second effort in Congress to rebuke President Trump in two days, following the House vote Wednesday to rein in Trump’s war powers in Iran.
- The dueling amendments were proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen.
- The votes came as the Senate began a “vote-a-rama,” during which lawmakers were expected to propose a stream of amendments to the immigration bill on various topics.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune responds to questions from reporters Thursday in the Capitol. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) By Justine Mc Daniel Staff Writer June 4, 2026 12:31 PM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
WASHINGTON — Initial efforts in the Senate failed Thursday to block the $1.8-billion fund that the Trump administration has sought to establish to pay people who claim the government wronged them, though further attempts were likely to come Thursday afternoon.
Republicans narrowly voted down a Democratic amendment to ban the payout fund and then Democrats killed a Republican amendment, which would have prohibited the use of federal money for the fund but would have sent $1.7 billion to the Justice Department’s fraud division.