Congress left town this week after the Senate passed Republicans’ high-priority budget reconciliation package for immigration enforcement, while Democrats saw a war powers messaging win in the House.
The Senate adjourned in the wee hours of Friday morning following an all-night “vote-a-rama” to pass a nearly $70 billion reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement. The package notably does not include a provision to block a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund despite multiple attempts from both parties to insert it.
Earlier Thursday, when it wasn’t clear whether the Senate would vote into the night or wrap it up at a more reasonable hour, the House was on standby with plans to take up the Senate bill as soon as it advanced and send it the White House on Friday.
But House leadership abruptly abandoned that plan and left town Thursday night after holding its first vote of the week just a day prior.
During the House’s short week in session, Democrats had a couple foreign policy wins on the floor, including the passage of a Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid bill that garnered support from 18 Republicans.
