Lindsey Graham delays shutdown vote over $500,000 ‘Arctic Frost’ benefit
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has only hours to get a extensive spending bill to the house after Sen. lindsey Graham blocked a late-night effort to advance the measure. Lawmakers on both sides object to fast-tracking the bill—some Democrats want more amendment votes—while Graham emerged as a prominent holdout after criticizing Democrats for “demonizing” immigration officials and objecting to repeal of a provision that would have authorized $500,000 payouts to senators surveilled during the Biden-era “Arctic Frost” probe.
Leadership is counting on the looming Friday night shutdown deadline and President Trump’s public endorsement to push the bill through.The package largely avoids resolving the most contentious immigration questions, and the White House agreed to a two-week Department of Homeland Security funding extension to buy more negotiation time. Still, a partial lapse in funding appears likely because the House won’t return before Monday and some GOP members oppose the DHS patch.
Senate leaders face a procedural challenge: they need unanimous consent from all 100 senators to expedite a vote, or else must navigate time-consuming hurdles. If the Senate does pass the spending measure, it could prevent a prolonged shutdown; the White House also has some discretion about whether to formally declare one if the House’s action is uncertain.
Lindsey Graham delays shutdown vote over $500,000 ‘Arctic Frost’ benefit
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has just hours to send a sweeping spending bill to the House after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dashed hopes of passing the legislation late on Thursday night.
There are still objections to fast-tracking the legislation on both sides of the aisle, according to a source familiar with the matter, including multiple Democrats who want more amendment votes. But Graham emerged as the most vocal stumbling block for leadership after he vented to reporters that immigration officials were being “demonized” by the Democrats and that Congress was wrong to repeal a provision directing $500,000 payouts for senators, including Graham, surveilled under the Biden-era “Arctic Frost” investigation.
Leadership is banking on the pressure cooker of a Friday night shutdown deadline to overcome those objections and has already enlisted the help of President Donald Trump, who endorsed the spending bill and urged senators to vote “yes” on Thursday.
The legislation punts on the thorniest matter for congressional Democrats: how to reform immigration enforcement after the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this month.
But Democrats were able to secure a two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security from the White House, a move that allows the remaining funding bills to pass while buying more time for negotiations.
A partial lapse in funding is all but guaranteed after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made clear the House would not return before Monday, and, as a sign the funding deal would need significant Democratic support, rebel House members signaled their opposition to the DHS funding patch.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) also demanded a vote on the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship for voting, as part of any funding deal.
As of Friday, Johnson was set to hold an afternoon conference call with Republicans to discuss next steps on government funding.
The challenge for Thune will be getting all 100 senators to allow an expedited vote on the funding bill, or else leadership will be forced to spend days jumping through procedural hurdles.
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If the Senate passes the legislation, which covers the vast majority of discretionary spending, Washington may be able to avert a protracted shutdown like the one last year.
The White House has some flexibility on whether to declare a formal shutdown if the House appears poised to act.
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