Rep. Suozzi calls on Republicans to ‘stand up’ to stop ‘anti-weaponization fund’

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Suozzi, bipartisan co-chairs of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, called on Congress on Sunday to block implementation of the Justice Department’s $1.8 billion budget.anti-proliferation fund“

“The problem here, Jonathan, is a bill that basically bypasses Congress,” Fitzpatrick told ABC News “This Week” co-host Jonathan Karl. “Congress is seizing the money. The executive branch doesn’t have a dime of it at their level. Every dollar that goes to the executive branch comes out of Article I, comes out of Congress through the appropriations process that we’re in right now.”

Republican Fitzpatrick and Democrat Suozzi have introduced a bill that would block the fund from making any payments.

The Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund that can pay compensation to those who claim they were “victimized” by the government, a group that may include rioters from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

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Bipartisan reactions to the fund’s announcement have increased since its announcement.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Republican senators at the Capitol on Thursday to try to quell the backlash over the “anti-proliferation fund,” but sources told ABC News that the meeting was tense, with some of President Donald Trump’s allies speaking out against it and one of them telling Blanche, “You created this sandwich, you need to figure this out.”

Suozzi said Sunday that Republicans should join Democrats in using Congress’s authority to block taxpayer money from being paid out by the fund.

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“It’s actually up to the Republicans to join the Democrats. Everyone knows it’s wrong,” Suozzi said. “That’s the purpose of checks and balances in government, so that one branch of government does something stupid or wrong, and the other branch holds them accountable.”

Suozzi was scathing about the idea that the payments could go to Jan. 6 rioters convicted of attacking police officers.

Asked by CNN on Wednesday about the possibility of these people receiving payments from the fund, Blance replied, “People who harm the police always get paid.” However, Blanche later added that it would be “abhorrent to ever, ever touch a law enforcement officer” and said it was “a whole different question about whether an individual would make a claim” and “whether they would make a claim.”

At a Senate committee hearing the day before, he said the Jan. 6 rioters could apply for the money but there was no guarantee they would get paid.

“There’s a story I like to tell over and over again; on January 6, the cop gets beaten, people say, “Kill him, kill him, and this guy comes, Daniel Rodriguez, sticks a stun gun in his neck and tasers the police officer.” Suozzi said the police officer had a heart attack, resulting in brain damage. 12 years in prison. The President pardoned him. Now they want to give him money. “This is crazy.”

Republicans challenging the president faced consequences. GOP incumbents who oppose the president lost primaries last week to Trump-backed challengers, including Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky and Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana.

When Karl asked if he was worried about the president coming after him for his move against the fund, Fitzpatrick said not.

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“I’m not worried about any criticism from the outside. Everyone has a job to do. Everyone is right and free to express their opinion,” Fitzpatrick said. “My job is to represent the people who sent me here and I will do that.”

Suozzi praised Fitzpatrick’s willingness to challenge the president on some issues.

“Brian has shown this before. He has signed other expulsion petitions, and other Republicans have joined him on different issues, especially in the last few weeks,” Suozzi said. “We need our Republican colleagues to stand up and say this is right, this is wrong, and we need to work together to make our country a better place and focus on the things people care about.”