Senate Democrats Force Votes on Trump’s $1.776bn Settlement Fund

Senate Democrats on Thursday, June 4, 2026, forced a series of votes challenging former President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” settlement fund during a rapid-fire “vote-a-rama” tied to a $70 billion immigration-enforcement funding bill in Washington, D.C. Democrats sought to permanently bar the fund, which was created as part of a settlement stemming from a lawsuit Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The fund was described as intended to compensate alleged victims of politically motivated prosecution.

Republicans rejected a Democratic measure to permanently block the fund. A separate amendment offered by Republican Senator Tom Tillis that would have redirected the money to a Justice Department anti-fraud fund was also rejected.

The votes came as Senate Republicans renewed their push to advance the $70 billion immigration-enforcement bill, a priority for Trump that has faced resistance from Democrats. The article said Democrats have opposed additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) following recent incidents.

The “vote-a-rama” format allowed Democrats to require public votes on amendments they said highlighted controversies linked to the Trump presidency. The article said amendments ranged from Trump’s tariff policies to the US-Israel war on Iran.

Immigration bill’s path and earlier dispute

The immigration package had previously included $1 billion for security upgrades related to Trump’s White House ballroom, a provision that became a point of controversy. The article said the ballroom-related security funding was dropped before the voting began.

With Republicans holding a majority in the Senate, the bill was expected to pass if the party remained unified. The legislation was expected to move next to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

What Democrats said they are trying to achieve

Democrats have argued that any restrictions on the settlement fund should be made permanent rather than relying on assurances that the plan will not be revived. The votes on June 4 were described as the opening round in a broader effort to force Republicans to take recorded positions on amendments touching a range of Trump-era policies and political disputes.

Lawmakers were expected to continue voting through late Thursday into early Friday as the Senate worked through the remaining amendments connected to the immigration-enforcement package.