Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had aimed to get the reconciliation package through the Senate and on to the House before the Memorial Day holiday. But GOP senators emerged from a closed-door briefing with top Justice Department officials about the fund with more questions than answers, and it became clear that Republicans did not have consensus on moving forward. Administration officials “need to help with this issue, because we have a lot of members who are concerned, obviously, about the timing, but also about the substance,” Thune told reporters after he canceled the votes. Asked by NBC News how much the weaponization fund played into postponing the reconciliation vote, Thune replied: “Well, that’s a big issue.” The Justice Department has said it plans to make $1.776 billion in taxpayer money available for the fund. Given Democratic opposition, the only way to pass that through Congress would be to add it to the immigration “reconciliation” package, which can pass with only Republican votes. “I think the administration is putting itself in a bad spot,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said after the private briefing. Thursday’s briefing with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and others lasted over an hour and a half, and Republicans emerged tight-lipped and appeared frustrated, saying they are working on how they could put guardrails on the fund. To ease GOP concerns, Justice Department officials had circulated a one-page fact sheet about the fund, explaining where the money would come from, who would oversee disbursements and who was eligible. The Justice Department said that as part of Trump’s legal settlement with the agency, he president, his sons and the Trump Organization would receive an apology but no monetary payment; they also cannot receive any payouts from the fund. “This is about seeking accountability for all Americans who were victims of lawfare and weaponization: millions of Americans whose online speech was censored at the behest of the government, parents silenced at schoolboards, Senators whose records were secretly subpoenaed, churchgoers targeted by the FBI, and so on,” the fact sheet said. “There is no partisan restriction: Democrats can submit claims, too,” according to the Justice Department. Beloud