House Speaker Mike Johnson Meets White House Amid Funding Dispute

House Speaker Mike Johnson headed to the White House on Monday as the president’s demand for congressional funding for a $1.776 billion “slush fund” for his political allies threatens to derail Republican efforts to pass further funding for ICE and CBP.

The meeting took place Monday morning, the first day back for lawmakers in Washington after the House and Senate left for the Memorial Day holiday without beginning the process of votes for the GOP budget reconciliation package. The legislation, which can avert a filibuster under Senate rules, is the GOP’s last and best hope of passing further funding for Donald Trump’s mass deportation engine without negotiating with Democrats.

Trump’s demand for the “anti-weaponization” fund could blow that plan up altogether. Already facing thin margins in the House and Senate, Republican lawmakers in both chambers are publicly skeptical or outright hostile towards the idea of the fund, which is set to be used to disburse payouts to Americans “targeted” by the Department of Justice for prosecution under the past two Democratic administrations. Critics say it will be used as a way to shell out cash to Trump’s political allies, including persons convicted of attacking police on January 6. The administration hasn’t ruled this out.

The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.

Senators left for the Memorial Day holiday last month after a meeting in the Senate over the weaponization fund turned contentious, with Republican senators “screaming” at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the White House’s demands, according to Sen. Ted Cruz. The meeting revealed the wide gulf separating the White House and a seemingly massive segment of the Senate GOP caucus over the issue.

As that meeting concluded, former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who is retiring this year, released a statement deriding the White House’s course as “utterly stupid”.

This is a breaking news report. More to follow...