Keeping Track

🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS: THE SENATE will go home until June, leaving the reconciliation bill unfinished.

THUNE just told senators in the room.

All because of the DOJ weaponization fund.

House is expected to follow suit soon.

me and @AndrewDesiderio

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) May 21, 2026

News — Nearly 2-hour meeting with Acting AG Todd Blanche and Senate Republicans was incredibly hostile, per multiple attendees.

As many as 25 GOP senators spoke (this is very rare for these meetings), all in opposition to weaponization fund.

R’s pitched specific ideas such as…

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) May 21, 2026

GOP senators tell me they have no official guidance yet (Thune didn’t provide any during the Blanche mtg) but many of them believe they will be sent home for the recess because of how much time it will take to get agreed-upon language *and* have it scrubbed by the parliamentarian

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) May 21, 2026

ha - here it really is. they just want the hubbub over the criminally corrupt slush fund to blow over before they do the ICE/ballroom funding bill https://t.co/iYdzPVeIaT

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 21, 2026

Sen. Cramer says it “would have been a good idea” for the Trump admin to announce the $1.8 billion fund AFTER the reconciliation bill passed. Instead it exposed the bill to all kinds of amendments because of its judiciary title

“we can't help the president with a budget…

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) May 21, 2026

BREAKING: Senate GOP leaders have postponed plans to pass a budget reconciliation package designed to fund ICE & CBP because of concerns around the DOJ weaponization fund. This is remarkable given that the weaponization fund was/is not part of the original bill.

— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) May 21, 2026

NOW: Sen John Hoeven (R-ND) says the issue of the $1.7 billion Trump fund for convicted criminals has caused trouble for Senate GOP spending bill. Hoeven says colleagues want “guardrails”

— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) May 21, 2026

Scott MacFarlane reports on Trump’s $1.776 billion slush fund running into major resistance in the Senate.

Even Trump allies are uncomfortable with taxpayer money potentially going to January 6 defendants and cop beaters.

MacFarlane also reports growing concern on Capitol Hill… pic.twitter.com/zczKbsFfKS

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) May 21, 2026

Scott MacFarlane reports on Trump’s $1.776 billion slush fund running into major resistance in the Senate.

Even Trump allies are uncomfortable with taxpayer money potentially going to January 6 defendants and cop beaters.

MacFarlane also reports growing concern on Capitol Hill that Trump may be using the controversy to distract from deeper issues involving his taxes and potential corruption exposure.

Castro: The last half of the year, especially in election years, we’re not in session, so most of the legislative days come before the end of July. You see these guys trying to fund this slush fund, trying to pay for that ballroom, and it seems to have broken down because of… pic.twitter.com/xlgwr67LUj

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 21, 2026

Castro: The last half of the year, especially in election years, we’re not in session, so most of the legislative days come before the end of July. You see these guys trying to fund this slush fund, trying to pay for that ballroom, and it seems to have broken down because of that.

So...

The windows are closing, and Congress is closed until June. Then there’s 4th if July, and nothing after 7/31 until after Election Day in November. The legislative calendar to the end of the year can be counted in days; almost on only the fingers of two hands. 

The Senate doesn’t want to kill the slush fund, but they want to control it. Sort of. Somehow. Trump said today he doesn’t need Congress for anything. So why wouldn’t he give the money to people who beat up police and terrorized Congress? Sure, Congress may try claw it back, or tax it at 100% (seriously, that’s one proposal), but what does Trump care? It’s Xmas, and he’s Santa Claus. Let Congress be the Grinch.

If Congress doesn’t kill it, what stops Trump using it?

2/3rds of the Senate is not up for reelection, so why shouldn’t they back Trump? The House is another matter, and more likely will press a law to kill this fund in the crib. But if the Senate won’t play, or Trump vetoes? Well, maybe 1/3rd of the Senate would vote to override…but that’s not enough. More likely they won’t play at all, and let Trump have his corruption.

At least, that’s where it’s going now. And that’s not even touching on the “Get out of tax review forever” card DOJ has issued to Trump, Jr., Eric, and the company. That one is not quite as urgent since the IRS won’t dare investigate those parties until 2029. But it’s more of the corruption GOP Senators seem to be fine with. Now, Congress is out of session for two weeks. Will Trump until they’ve resolved this issue to start tapping the Treasury and issuing checks?

Is the Pope a Cubs fan?