Republicans block Senator Coons’ amendment to stop Trump’s taxpayer-funded slush fund from paying January 6 rioters who assaulted police

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) this morning introduced an amendment to the Republican reconciliation bill that would prohibit payments from President Trump's $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund' to individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers during the January 6 insurrection. Despite claims by several Republicans that they were dismayed at the idea of taxpayer dollars going to convicted insurrectionists and cop-beaters, Senate Republicans blocked his amendment by a vote of 54-45; the amendment needed 60 votes to pass.

Ahead of the vote, Senator Coons spoke on the Senate floor about the need to stop taxpayer dollars from being used to reward President Trump's political allies, including those who attacked police officers at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

"My amendment is simple. It's one sentence. The Department of Justice may not use taxpayer funds to make settlement payments to any individual convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers at or around the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021," Senator Coons said on the Senate floor this morning. "It's not complicated - if the administration won't rule out potentially multimillion-dollar payments to those who assaulted police on these grounds, we must."

The Trump administration created the $1.8 billion slush fund as part of a settlement after President Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization sued the Internal Revenue Service over the disclosure of his federal tax returns. Although a federal court has temporarily blocked payouts from the fund, President Trump and members of his administration have refused to clearly state that the fund is dead. The settlement between President Trump and his own Department of Justice - headed by his former personal lawyer - creating the slush fund makes clear that the settlement can only be amended in writing, which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche ruled out when questioned in the House of Representatives earlier this week.

When Senator Coons questioned acting Attorney General Todd Blanche before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee last month, he refused to rule out payments from the slush fund to January 6 rioters, including individuals who assaulted police officers, as well as members of President Trump's family or campaign donors.

Over 140 police officers were injured during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election. 15 officers were hospitalized, and four ultimately lost their lives. More than 1,500 people were convicted of crimes stemming from their participation in the insurrection; all were pardoned as one of President Trump's first acts back in office last year. Many of them have expressed a desire to collect payouts from the newly created fund. Meanwhile, a new report shows that 97 of the rioters pardoned by President Trump - more than one out of every twenty - have been arrested, charged, or convicted of other crimes since their release, including child molestation, grand larceny, and deadly conduct.

A video and transcript of Senator Coons' remarks are below.

WATCH HERE.

Senator Coons: Mr. President, President Trump has previously announced the creation of a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded 'victims of weaponization' slush fund. And on May 19, I questioned acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about this announced anti-weaponization fund - specifically, would anyone convicted of assaulting police officers in or around our Capitol on January 6 be eligible for a payout from this fund.

The acting Attorney General would make no such commitments, and so the Senate must. My amendment is simple. It's one sentence. The Department of Justice may not use taxpayer funds to make settlement payments to any individual convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers at or around the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

It's not complicated - if the administration won't rule out potentially multimillion-dollar payments to those who assaulted police on these grounds, we must. I urge my colleagues to take up and pass this amendment alongside me and ensure that taxpayer funds won't be so badly misused in this way.