WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators plan to force a vote this week on President Donald Trump’s new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate political allies, testing Republican unity as Trump lashes out at lawmakers in his own party.Republicans are expected to vote on a roughly $72 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol after Democrats blocked the money for months. But the straightforward legislation became more complicated after Republicans added $1 billion in security money for the White House campus and Trump’s new ballroom — and as some GOP senators have grown increasingly frustrated with the president. Republicans have criticized the settlement fund, and many were upset by Trump’s endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.
“It’s been a hell of a bad week for Donald Trump and his Republicans,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on the Senate floor. “And it’s only Wednesday.” Democrats have an opening to force a vote on the settlement fund because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments on the settlement fund, potentially to block it outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who beat law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
