Republican senators are weighing how to use an immigration bill as a vehicle to restrict a fund that President Trump wants to access for paying claims related to alleged government mistreatment.
The strategy would effectively fence off the fund through legislative language in the immigration measure, preventing Trump from tapping it as readily as he has proposed. Senators are still exploring the precise mechanism to accomplish this.
The move reflects tension within the Republican conference over Trump's spending priorities and his ability to direct federal resources. Some in the party worry about the scope and cost of compensating individuals claiming past government wrongs.
An immigration bill offers an opportunity to insert such restrictions since the measure is expected to move through Congress in coming months. Republicans control the Senate and could use their majority to shape the fund's limitations.
The discussions remain preliminary, with no final agreement yet on how restrictive the language should be or whether the effort will ultimately succeed. Senate Republican leadership has not officially endorsed a specific approach.
Trump has indicated interest in establishing or expanding the fund as part of his broader agenda, but the proposal has drawn scrutiny from fiscal conservatives concerned about its potential scope and precedent.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Republicans trying to corral Trump's ambitions through legislative fine print is nothing new, but using an immigration bill to do it shows how tangled GOP priorities have become."
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