Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday that Democrats will force Republicans to vote on a legislative “weapons relief” fund being pushed by President Donald Trump.
The fund, which aims to compensate victims of what the administration calls “the law,” has become a political flashpoint on Capitol Hill, sparking rare Republican criticism of Trump from within his own political party. Democrats now want to turn that into a bazooka to force Republicans to defend the program or vote to kill it.
“This week, Senate Democrats will launch a concerted effort to kill the slush fund before a penny comes out,” Schumer wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter sent Monday to Senate Democrats. “And no matter what the Republicans do, we’re going to force them to vote.”
The fund helped stall Senate action last month, where Republicans were trying to use the budget reconciliation process to fund immigration enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security. Some Republicans told acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a closed-door meeting that they opposed the fund when he came to Capitol Hill to explain it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is meeting with Trump at the White House, Johnson’s office said. MS NOW reported that the meeting will discuss the DOJ fund.
It is unlikely that Democrats will be able to legally block the fund, unless Republicans join them. But they can force unpopular votes from Republicans less than six months before the election.
A Virginia court on Friday temporarily blocked the Justice Department from taking any further steps to create the fund or withdraw money from it.
If Republicans return to the delayed measure this week, it will allow Democrats to introduce unlimited amendments.
“If Republicans return to reconciliation, we will be ready with amendments to close this fund,” Schumer said in a letter to his caucus. “If they try to hide this issue, we will force them to go to the Senate. If they try to sneak out and withdraw money, we will fight them there.”
Critics, including Democrats, called the effort a “money bag” that could be used to pay for the January 6 protesters who attacked police at the US Capitol.
This fund came out with Trump dropping his $10 billion suit against the Internal Revenue Service for leaking his tax information in 2019 and 2020. In exchange for the dismissal of the case, the Justice Department created a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who say they are victims of what the Trump administration refers to as “the law.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, DN.Y., holds a news conference at the US Capitol about Senate Republicans postponing a vote on the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
Tom Williams Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
“Government agencies should never have weapons on any American, and it is the purpose of this department to correct the mistakes made in the past and ensure that this does not happen again,” Blanche said in a statement when the fund was announced.
“As part of this agreement, we are putting in place a legal process for victims of law enforcement and weapons to be heard and seek help,” said Blanche.
