Senate defeats Tillis plan to turn $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund into ‘anti-fraud’ fund
The Senate overwhelmingly voted Thursday for Sen. Voted to reject an amendment sponsored by Thom Tillis (R.N.C.) to redirect the nearly $1.8 billion proposed for the Department of Justice (DOJ) “gunfighting” fund to prevent fraud against U.S. taxpayers.
In his speech in the Senate, Tillis announced the amendment proposal regarding the $ 70 billion budget reconciliation package, saying, “This amendment prohibits the use of federal funds to create, manage, defend or pay demands through the so-called anti-proliferation fund.” he said.
“All this amendment does is it codifies what I believe is the Department of Justice’s policy, and instead of allowing those funds to be directed to settlement-related payments, it directs resources up to $1.7 billion to the fraud division,” Tillis said on the stand.
The Senate voted 84-15 to waive a procedural objection to Tillis’ bill, which was introduced by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
12 Republicans and 3 Democrats voted for the proposal.
Republicans who voted yes were Tillis and Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.), Susan Collins (Maine), John Cornyn (Texas), John Curtis (Utah), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Jon Husted (Ohio), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mike Rounds (South Dakota), Dan Sullivan (Alaska) and Todd Young (Ind.).
Democrats Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Catherine Cortez-Masto (Nev.) also voted yes.
Graham argued that Tillis’ amendment would exceed the budget authority allocated to the Senate Judiciary Committee for the purpose of preparing the reconciliation package.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the ranking member of the Budget Committee, also opposed Tillis’ amendment, arguing that it would establish a new “secret fund” under the control of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Taking a slush fund, eliminating it, and then creating a new slush fund under the control of the attorney general’s office is not the way to go. The way to go is to get rid of these slush funds completely,” he said. “We have already seen what a list of enemies this administration has, how inclined this attorney general is to use his resources and his office to go after those enemies.”
Democrats argued that Tillis’ proposal would not eliminate the anti-gun fund but simply rebrand it.
Democrats argued the proposal would give the Trump administration $1.7 billion to go after his enemies and punish blue states under the guise of “fraud enforcement.”
Updated at 15:57
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