Senate Republicans cleared the first hurdle on Thursday as they are struggling to pass legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies, narrowly beating back a Democratic effort to permanently block Trump from creating a $1.776 billion settlement fund for payouts to allies who claim they were persecuted by the government.
Republicans still face a gauntlet of Democratic amendments before the bill can advance, setting up a daylong test of party unity. More votes on the settlement fund are planned, including proposals from Republicans, and it was unclear if GOP leaders would be able to fend them all off and pass the legislation.
“I can’t predict how it comes out,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters between discussions with some of the holdouts off the Senate floor.
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