Congress leaving town for a week

NPR - Congress is preparing to leave town for a weeklong recess without passing a Republican-backed plan to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years. This is a top priority for President Trump, who told congressional Republicans he wanted additional funding approved by June 1. Trump's $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization" fund may derail the deadline. The fund aims to compensate people who say they have been targeted by the government. It's not included in the immigration enforcement measure, but some Senate Republicans wanted to address it before passing the funding. Discord also appears to be growing among House Republicans, who called off a vote last night on a resolution limiting the president’s war powers.

A number of Republican senators said they were blindsided by the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" announcement, NPR's Barbara Sprunt tells Up First. The money hasn't been appropriated by Congress. Sprunt says Senate Republicans were on the verge of passing the immigration enforcement funding, but some withdrew their support over concerns about the $1.8 billion fund and Trump's White House ballroom plans. The ballroom was initially expected to be covered by private donations. After the shooting at the correspondents' dinner, plans shifted to transform it into a secure facility, and costs have since soared to about a billion dollars. Trump wanted Congress to pay for its additional security. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who lost his primary this week, publicly denounced funding for the ballroom and criticized the anti-weaponization fund. Sprunt now wonders whether the GOP is entering a new chapter in which members feel emboldened to challenge the president rather than hesitate.