House Republicans have chosen not to target special counsel Jack Smith in a spending bill funding the Justice Department — at least for the time being.
On Tuesday, House appropriators unveiled the legislative text of their Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill for fiscal 2025, which would allocate a total of $78.28 billion, roughly a 2% cut from the year before.
Most of the reduction is to the Justice Department as GOP lawmakers accuse the Biden administration of weaponizing the agency against conservatives. But the legislation notably does not include proposed language to slash funding for Smith’s office or other local prosecutors who have opened legal cases against Trump.
It is likely that GOP lawmakers will press for a vote to amend the bill after it advances to the full House, while Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has expressed support for using the spending process to “rein in” the Justice Department.
Smith has two cases against Trump, one centered on his handling of classified documents and another on his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Both are seen as attempts by allies of President Joe Biden to derail his presidential opponent, a claim the White House denies.
House Republicans sought to include language in the must-pass spending bill that would ensure federal funds are not used “to bring a criminal prosecution of a former or current President or Vice President,” according to text proposed by Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). However, that language is not included in the draft text.
Jordan also made funding requests to include cuts for “politicized prosecutions from state and local prosecutors engaged in lawfare,” specifically naming Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, each of whom has opened a case against Trump. That proposal also does not appear in the original text.
The bill does include a provision keeping the Justice Department from using funding to relocate the FBI headquarters.
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House appropriators will continue marking up the DOJ spending bill this week, which is expected to come to the floor for a vote in mid-July.
“This bill prioritizes fiscal sanity and the liberties of the American people,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said in a statement. “It halts the weaponization of the federal government against its citizens and enhances congressional oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. Investments support our brave men and women in blue, combat crime, and stop the deadly scourge of illicit drugs from reaching our communities.”