�鶹��

Iran Conflict Pushback.
This week, the Senate approved a procedural motion that would allow a war powers resolution to be debated and voted on in the coming weeks. Seven previous attempts had failed, but this measure passed in a 50 to 47 vote that included the support of four Republicans, the dissent of one Democrat, and the absence of three other Republicans who had previously voted against the measures. In the House, Republican leaders needed to cancel a similar vote when it became clear that it would pass. With the economic toll of the conflict growing, President Trump would like to declare a quick win. There has been some chatter of a phased agreement (focus on the reopening of the Strait, with the more contentious issues around Iran’s nuclear capabilities being pushed off), but there are few signs of any diplomatic breakthrough (to say nothing about the durability of any such breakthrough) in what has become a war of wills between the two sides.

Reconciliation Roadblock.
Senate Republicans this week failed to meet a goal of advancing an over USD 70 billion reconciliation package before the Memorial Day recess. The bill primarily is focused on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It was derailed this week by two controversial priorities of the Trump administration. The first is USD 1 billion of funding for the Secret Service that includes USD 220 million for the building of the East Wing ballroom. It likely will need to be stripped from the final package. The other is a USD 1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund (see below). The Trump administration’s abrupt announcement of the fund left Senate Republicans frustrated and divided. The backlash forced Senator Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to try to put restrictions on the fund in the reconciliation bill. The reluctance from Republicans on having votes on politically problematic amendments relating to the fund, along with other procedural delays, led to Republican leaders pushing off further consideration of the bill till after the recess. While the reconciliation package is still on track to pass, the punt to next month shows how navigating President Trump’s funding priorities remains complicated.

Anti-Weaponization Fund.
In an irregular settlement between the Justice Department and the IRS to settle President Trump’s lawsuit against the latter agency (over the release of his tax returns), there was the announcement of a USD 1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that could be used to compensate claimants alleging government “weaponization,” to potentially include convicted criminals from the January 6 attack on the Capitol. As part of the agreement, the US government agreed that the government is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting President Trump, his sons, and the Trump organization’s current tax issues. The settlement quickly raised serious concerns on both sides of the aisle. There also are questions about whether the executive branch can use appropriated funds for a purpose not specified by Congress. Regardless of what the courts decide, it’s already creating divides on Capitol Hill, with several bipartisan efforts afoot to try to kill the fund.

See the latest Washington Weekly .