Senate to hold "vote-a-rama" on ICE funding ahead of final passage

Politics Senate to hold "vote-a-rama" on ICE funding ahead of final passage By Kaia Hubbard Kaia Hubbard Politics Reporter Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kaia Hubbard June 4, 2026 / 9:28 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — The Senate is set to begin what's expected to be a marathon vote series on Thursday as Republicans seek to fund immigration agencies under the Department of Homeland Security without help from Democrats.After a series of fits and starts over President Trump's White House ballroom and the Justice Department's "anti-weaponization" fund, the chamber is moving ahead with the reconciliation process, beginning with what's known as a "vote-a-rama" on Thursday morning. During the vote-a-rama, senators can offer an unlimited number of amendments and require the chamber to cast vote after vote.Democrats — and some Republicans — are expected to force a number of votes aimed at restricting the DOJ fund, which aimed to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who alleged the federal government had been "weaponized" against them. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before a House committee earlier this week that "we are not moving forward with the fund." But his refusal to put anything in writing, and the president's continued praise for the plan, have made some senators skeptical.The announcement of the fund last month threatened to derail the funding for DHS' immigration enforcement agencies. Senate Republicans have been seeking to fund the agencies for months, but faced opposition from Democrats after two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. And after negotiations over possible reforms to the agencies fell apart, Senate Republicans opted to pursue the funding on their own through budget reconciliation.The process allows Republicans to bypass the 60-vote threshold needed to advance most legislation and move forwa...