The Senate is poised to pass a major government funding package Friday afternoon after Sen. Lindsey Graham agreed to release his hold on the legislation in exchange for votes on measures targeting sanctuary cities and holding the Justice Department accountable.
Graham brought the massive funding package to a halt Thursday evening, just one day before a potential government shutdown. The bill includes five regular appropriations measures along with a two-week stopgap funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security. His move immediately put pressure on Senate leadership, as the clock ticked toward the shutdown deadline.
By Friday morning, however, the South Carolina Republican signaled he was backing away from forcing a shutdown. Graham said he would allow the funding package to move forward if Senate leaders agreed to give him votes on legislation addressing what he described as open defiance of federal immigration law by state and local officials.
Specifically, Graham demanded a vote on a proposal that would criminalize the conduct of state and local officials who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement operations. He argued that sanctuary city policies undermine the rule of law, encourage illegal immigration, and burden taxpayers.
“I’m demanding my solutions to fixing sanctuary cities, at least have a vote,” Graham said. He added that the Senate should decide within two weeks whether to criminalize actions by officials who, in his view, willfully ignore federal law for political reasons.
Graham also pushed for a vote on legislation that would allow Americans who are not members of Congress to sue the Department of Justice if they were investigated by former special counsel Jack Smith. Smith led investigations into President Donald Trump related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Graham said the conduct he is targeting involves state and local officials openly defying federal law that has been in place for decades, incentivizing illegal immigration, wasting taxpayer dollars, and eroding law and order.
Senate aides said Friday they expect the funding package to clear the upper chamber sometime after lunch. The legislation must still pass the House, which is convening its Rules Committee on Sunday in an effort to speed the bill through and send it to President Trump’s desk.
Because of the timing, funding for roughly 78 percent of the federal government is set to lapse over the weekend.
Graham also criticized Senate Republican leadership for what he described as a defensive posture following the fatal shooting of two protesters in Minneapolis. He urged GOP leaders to go on offense against Democrats for backing so-called blue-state cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
“To the Republican Party, where have you been?” Graham said, calling on congressional leaders to be more aggressive in holding anti-ICE protesters accountable for interfering with enforcement operations and harassing officers.
“These people are patriotic. They’re away from home. These crowds that follow them to their hotel. They intimidate their families,” he said. “The people pushing this are nuts. They’re not normal.”
Graham also said he wants a vote on his proposal to expand the right of private citizens to sue the Justice Department if they were targeted by Smith. He noted that he was among several Republican senators whose phone records were subpoenaed as part of Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
He added that he plans to work with Sen. Gary Peters to explore requiring the Justice Department to notify members of Congress if they become targets of an investigation.
“So I am willing to lift my hold. I’m willing to vote yes, I actually like the products. I’m asking for two simple things,” Graham said.
Because Senate leaders were attempting to fast-track the funding bill, unanimous consent was required, meaning any single senator could block the process. Graham used that leverage to force a debate he says is long overdue.
