Senate GOP works to block amendments on DOJ reimbursement fund

The fund would provide payments to individuals described as targets of prior criminal cases. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the party has held discussions with members about the importance of defeating amendments that could undermine the measure.

Amendment process and vote thresholds Amendments are expected during a marathon voting session scheduled to begin Thursday. Under reconciliation rules, any change determined not germane to the underlying bill would require 60 votes rather than a simple majority.

Sens. Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, and Bill Cassidy have expressed support for amendments that would block the fund. Tillis has stated he will not support final passage unless the fund is removed. Thune said he would address Tillis’s position when the vote occurs.

Leadership has indicated it expects to maintain the simple-majority threshold by defeating the amendments.

Democratic and administration positions The office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats plan to highlight the fund and other provisions during the amendment votes. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told a House committee this week that the department was ending the fund.

A federal judge has placed the fund on hold pending litigation. President Trump told reporters Wednesday that he would need to consult lawyers about whether the fund would be permanently eliminated. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward deleted a social media post that suggested the administration was considering an alternative compensation method.

In the House, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said he would not support the fund’s creation.