The House and Senate are both back in session this week after the Memorial Day recess.
The House returns to tackle the Agriculture Appropriations Act; crack down on fraud in student loans; eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in federal childcare programs; and make sure the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program is provided only to those for whom it was designed.
After failing to pass a slimmed down reconciliation bill funding immigration enforcement, the Senate is determined to oppose the Trump Administration’s push for the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund, also known as the “$1.776” (billion) Fund.
Senators, including many Republicans, raised concerns about the Administration potentially handing out money to politically thorny individuals, but conservative Congressman Riley Moore’s recent remarks reflect the sentiments of many conservatives:
“People clearly understand that there was a wrong that needs to be righted in the previous Administration in terms of the justice system. That’s what the president is trying to do, to provide justice for those who were wronged…”
As this news was unfolding, Axios scooped on Monday afternoon that the Administration plans to drop the Anti-Weaponization Fund for now after two federal judges weighed in.
The Administration issued a statement on X:
“The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people. This Fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise. The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.”
Time will tell whether this temporary pause by the courts will hold, but in the meantime, the House and the Senate have a number of items they would like to get across the finish line in the remaining weeks before the August recess and election.
Some of those items are the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations, FISA, and the Surface Transportation Reauthorization or “highway bill.”
ICYMI…
- Conservative Action Project: Conservatives Urge Senate Republicans to Fund ICE and Border Patrol
- Moment of Truth: Wins for the Right, Violence from the Left (ft. Sen. Eric Schmitt)