The U.S. Senate voted down an amendment on Thursday, June 4, 2026, that would have permanently eliminated President Donald Trump's $1.8 billion DOJ "anti-weaponization" fund [1].

The decision preserves a controversial financial mechanism that critics argue could be used to reward political allies, while supporters view it as a necessary check on federal law enforcement.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) led the effort to scrap the fund. He said, "I filed an amendment to permanently prevent any payouts from the anti-weaponization fund to those who attacked Capitol Hill police" [1]. The push was driven by Democratic concerns that the money could be used to compensate individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks [1].

Other Republicans attempted to modify the fund rather than eliminate it entirely. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) proposed turning the money into an anti-fraud initiative. Tillis said, "We must redirect the $1.8 billion to fight fraud, not to reward wrongdoing" [4]. However, this plan was also defeated [4].

Opponents of the amendment argued that the legislative process, specifically the "vote-a-rama," should remain focused on the primary bill at hand. This broader legislation involves a $70 billion immigration-enforcement package [1]. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) said, "The vote-a-Rama is solely about funding ICE and Border Patrol" [3].

The fund's total value is listed at $1.8 billion by some sources [1], though other reports describe it as roughly $2 billion [5]. The final vote to defeat the amendment was 50-49 [5].

By rejecting the amendment, the Senate ensures the fund remains active as part of the Department of Justice's budgetary framework. The narrow margin of the vote reflects a deep partisan divide over the use of federal funds to address perceived political weaponization within the legal system.

“"I filed an amendment to permanently prevent any payouts from the anti-weaponization fund to those who attacked Capitol Hill police."”

The Senate's refusal to eliminate the anti-weaponization fund signals a legislative victory for the Trump administration's efforts to maintain a financial tool for challenging DOJ practices. By tying the vote to a $70 billion immigration package, Republicans successfully framed the issue as a distraction from border security, effectively shielding the fund from a Democratic attempt to block payouts to Jan. 6 defendants.