House Republicans Make Themselves Eligible for Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund, Reject Levin Amendment to Block Payouts to Elected Officials

Skip to content I Want to Hear from You About Your Health Care Concerns. NEW: Rep. Levin Announces New District Data Map to Showcase Federal Project Funding. Close About Services Federal Project Funding Map Federal Policy Impact Resources Clean Energy Tax Credits Help With A Federal Agency Constituent Success Stories Grants Applicants Commendations and Greetings Tours and Tickets Military Academy Nominations Internships Flags Surplus Books Program Art Competition Constituent of the Month Congressional App Challenge Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Program Member-Designated Transportation Projects Community Project Funding Requests The Congressional Award News Press Releases In The News Op-Eds Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscription Offices Internships Request a Meeting with Rep. Levin Website Problem I Want To Hear From You Español Close Search Site SEARCH About Services Federal Project Funding Map Federal Policy Impact Resources Clean Energy Tax Credits Help With A Federal Agency Constituent Success Stories Grants Applicants Commendations and Greetings Tours and Tickets Military Academy Nominations Internships Flags Surplus Books Program Art Competition Constituent of the Month Congressional App Challenge Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Program Member-Designated Transportation Projects Community Project Funding Requests The Congressional Award News Press Releases In The News Op-Eds Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscription Offices Internships Request a Meeting with Rep. Levin Website Problem I Want To Hear From You MENU Español Search Instagram Icon Twitter Icon Facebook Icon Youtube Icon Bluesky Icon Home News Press Releases May 21, 2026 House Republicans Make Themselves Eligible for Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund, Reject Levin Amendment to Block Payouts to Elected Officials Watch Rep. Levin’s Remarks Here Washington, D.C.— During a House Appropriations Committee markup, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) introduced an amendment to prevent federal elected officials from receiving any money from the U.S. Treasury Judgment Fund in response to the creation of President Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The amendment was rejected by Republicans on the Appropriations Committee, who voted to allow themselves to receive money from the fund. Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the establishment of an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as part of the settlement to end President Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. The Judgment Fund would transfer nearly $1.8 billion to the slush fund to benefit President Trump’s allies, including Senators who believe they were victim to government weaponization and January 6 th insurrectionists who attacked U.S. Capitol police officers. The U.S. Attorney General would be responsible for appointing a five-person commission to administer the payouts, and the President can fire the commissioners at any time. Rep. Levin’s amendment would have made the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress ineligible for payouts from the Judgment Fund unless the funds were explicitly distributed through a final judgement or issued by a court. The construction of this amendment would have still allowed for elected federal officials to obtain funds from the Judgment Fund through the legal process – the process that every individual awarded a payment already has to go through. Read Rep. Levin’s remarks as prepared for delivery below: My amendment does one simple thing. It prohibits the arbitrary use of the Judgment Fund to pay elected officials of the United States unless there is a binding order from a court. That is the entire amendment. And I would submit to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that this is not a controversial proposition. It should not be a partisan one. So let me explain why we need it, and why we need it now. The Judgment Fund is a permanent appropriation. It was created by this Congress, in 1956, for a specific and narrow purpose. It exists so that when the federal government loses a lawsuit or settles a claim, the Treasury can pay what is owed without each one of us having to vote on every individual payment. It is not a policy tool. It is not a campaign account. It is not a discretionary pool for any administration to draw from at will. But that, Mr Chairman, is exactly what it is becoming. Two days ago, the Department of Justice announced what it is calling an “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Nearly $1.8 billion dollars. Drawn directly from the Judgment Fund. To be paid out to claimants the Attorney General selects, by a commission the Attorney General appoints, and that the President can fire at will. The processing window closes at the end of 2028 before the next Inauguration. Mr. Chairman, that timeline should give every member of this committee pause. Now, DOJ points to the Keepseagle settlement as precedent. With respect, the two are not comparable. Keepseagle was a court-supervised class action. The claimants were a defined group of Native American farmers