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‘Remove Thune!’ RINOs block reconciliation bill, senators sent home without funding DHS

May 22, 2026 | | Print Article

Anger is brewing after Senate Majority Leader John Thune adjourned the Senate on Thursday without moving forward on a budget reconciliation bill that would have fully funded the Department of Homeland Security.

Thune told reporters afterward that the White House must first address his colleagues’ concerns about the Trump administration’s anti-weaponization fund before he moves forward with reconciliation, according to The Hill.

On Monday, the administration announced the creation of a $1.7+ billion anti-weaponization fund to be used to compensate those who were mistreated by the former Biden administration, including Jan. 6 participants.

The announcement irritated several fuddy-duddy senators, including Thom Tillis and Mitch McConnell:

“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops?” McConnell said in a statement, borrowing his talking points straight from the Democratic Party. “Utterly stupid, morally wrong – take your pick.”

Making matters worse, both Tillis and McConnell previously eagerly voted in favor of a gigantic fund for senators who were targeted by the Biden administration’s lawfare.

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Evidently, both senators are OK with compensating elected officials who were targeted by lawfare, but not everyday citizens who were also targeted.

Keep in mind, this latest development comes after congressional Republicans already took a shot at President Donald Trump by removing funding for his desired ballroom from the reconciliation bill.

“In a blow to the White House, Senate Republicans will remove a $1 billion Secret Service funding request that would help President Donald Trump’s ballroom project from their immigration enforcement funding bill amid internal objections,” Politico reported on Wednesday.

In fairness to Republicans, the ballroom funding was removed because of the non-elected Senate Parliamentarian.

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“The decision to omit the security funding came after … Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled over the weekend that the provision didn’t comply with the strict rules governing what Republicans can put in their filibuster-skirting bill because it funded activities outside of the Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction,” according to Politico.

However, plenty of congressional Republicans complained to the media about the ballroom funding before MacDonough made her decision.

Case in point:

Coupled with Thune’s refusal to kill the filibuster to pass the Save Act, the latest catastrophes out of the Senate have an increasing number of Republican voters calling for the majority leader’s head on a platter.

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“It is a shame all of you in the senate are so weak you will not remove Thune,” one critic tweeted. “The reconciliation bill was supposed to be done by 2 June but you all are going on vacation, again! I want a refund on the taxes that pay all of your salaries.”

“@LeaderJohnThune is an @TheDemocrats plant,” another wrote. “Leaving the parliamentarian’s poor decisions in place on the most recent reconciliation is asinine. No recess appointments, no SAVE America Act, Thune is legislating like @SenSchumer or @SenWarren . REMOVE THUNE @SenateGOP !!!!”

See more responses below:

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Vivek Saxena
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