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June 3, 2026 / 11:38 AM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — Senate Republicans are preparing to move forward with a package to fund the Department of Homeland Security's immigration agencies as soon as Wednesday, following a back-and-forth over the Justice Department's "anti-weaponization" fund that threatened to derail the long-sought funding.Republicans have been seeking assurances from the administration about the controversial fund's fate after a heated meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last month. Blanche testified before a House committee on Tuesday that "we are not moving forward with the fund."The DOJ program, which aimed to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who alleged the federal government had been "weaponized" against them, sparked intense pushback on Capitol Hill. And some Republicans continued to express reservations Tuesday that prevented leaders from moving forward with the reconciliation package. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune appeared confident after Blanche's testimony that Republicans have the support necessary to proceed to the legislation as soon as Wednesday. "We're hopeful," Thune told reporters at the Capitol, adding that he's "keeping fingers crossed."The South Dakota Republican said "most of our members feel pretty satisfied" with Blanche's comments, noting that they occurred during a public hearing under oath, despite Blanche's refusal to put anything in writing."His comments were extremely helpful," Thune said. "Whether they are enough for some of our members, we'll find out."
