WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund derailed a U.S. Senate plan to fund immigration enforcement Thursday, but U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is one Republican who supports the fund — with limits.
On Thursday, Tuberville objected to a Democratic bill aimed at stopping a new fund that allows Americans who feel they were wrongfully prosecuted by the federal government to seek compensation.
“Thankfully, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Trump Department of Justice established a standard, a standard and lawful process to hear from American citizens who suffered lawfare or weaponization under the Biden administration, if they were wronged,” the Alabama Republican said on the Senate floor.
Democrats and even some Republicans expressed concern that taxpayer money could go toward those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
“…never before have we witnessed something this brazenly corrupt: An American President effectively suing and negotiating with himself to create a taxpayer-funded slush fund to funnel taxpayer money to friends and allies,” U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said, who sponsored the bill to block the fund.
But Tuberville did draw a line in how far he would support the DOJ settlement. He told Alabama Daily News that he did not think any of the money should go toward individuals convicted of assaulting police officers on Jan. 6.
“If you harmed a policeman, FBI agent, anybody, you’re wrong. You should be prosecuted,” Tuberville told ADN.
“I would not vote for anything like that to compensate anybody that laid a hand on any law enforcement officer,” he added.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., also told reporters she did not support any of the money going toward individuals who hurt police officers.
At the beginning of President Donald Trump’s term, he commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Earlier this week, Blanche did not rule out compensating individuals convicted of violent crimes in the Jan. 6 attack. But Tuberville said Blanche told GOP senators in a closed-door meeting Thursday that the money would not go toward those individuals.
After that meeting, Republican senators frustrated with the administration over the settlement, among other issues, canceled votes on a $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement and Border Patrol.
Lawmakers were set to vote on the measure before they left for a week-long Memorial Day recess. Republicans had hoped to get the bill passed by June 1, Trump’s self-imposed deadline.
“I think it’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in the political atmosphere around us,” Thune told reporters. “There is a political component to everything we do around here.”
The “anti-weaponization” fund is part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. The settlement, announced earlier this week, was bound to complicate the funding bill’s chances as Democrats planned to bring up amendments against it during the legislative process required to pass the immigration funding measure.
Those votes would have been politically difficult for Republicans, especially in an election year.
The bill would also have to pass the U.S. House, where it was unclear how it would be received.
Lawmakers are set to return to Washington June 1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.