House Republicans are eyeing different ways to target the criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump, with at least one lawmaker hoping to use the annual appropriations process to defund prosecutions as Congress prepares to return to Washington next month.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) announced on Monday he would be introducing a pair of amendments to prohibit funding from being used for the prosecution of any major presidential candidate ahead of the 2024 election, with one restricting funds for federal prosecutions and another for state prosecutions. The measures are being proposed as part of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, one of 12 spending bills that Congress must pass ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government.
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“Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars have no place funding the radical Left’s nefarious election interference efforts,” Clyde said in a statement, specifically citing Trump’s four criminal cases. “These bogus charges are undoubtedly intended to smear and take down President Trump, as well as hinder his ability to campaign effectively. This overt election interference continues to undermine both our Republic and our fair system of justice.”
Trump faces 91 criminal charges across four investigations that he and his GOP allies on Capitol Hill have denounced as partisan exercises. Trump has been charged with a variety of crimes, ranging from falsifying business records to obstruction related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Clyde said it’s “imperative” for Congress to use its power of the purse to “protect the integrity of elections” and prohibit prosecutors from coming after top presidential candidates.
“The American people get to decide who wins the White House — not Deep State actors who have shamelessly attacked Donald Trump since he announced his first bid in 2015,” he said.
Specific language for the amendments has not been drafted, but Clyde plans to introduce the legislation when the House Appropriations Committee reconvenes for its CJS markup in September.
It’s not clear how much support the two amendments will receive among House Republicans, but they represent the latest attempt to insert conservative priorities into the annual spending bills.
Congress has until the end of September to pass its budget before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, or lawmakers risk a government shutdown. Budget disagreements typically drag out as both parties fight over legislative priorities, with a final deal often coming together in the eleventh hour.
The House only managed to pass one of its 12 spending bills before leaving town for the August recess. House lawmakers return on Sept. 12, leaving them with just 18 days to pass a budget.
Oftentimes, lawmakers agree to pass a continuing resolution that allows the government to operate at the same spending levels until a broader agreement is reached. However, some hard-line conservatives are already ruling that process out, stating they aren’t worried about a government shutdown if it means getting a more conservative budget passed.
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Members of the House Freedom Caucus have vowed not to support a stopgap spending measure unless it is tied to a number of policy wins, setting the stage for a contentious battle with GOP leadership. Those demands include passing the House GOP border security bill, addressing the “unprecedented weaponization” of the Justice Department, and ending the “cancerous woke policies” implemented at the Pentagon.
“Any support for a ‘clean’ Continuing Resolution would be an affirmation of the current FY 2023 spending level grossly increased by the lame-duck December 2022 omnibus spending bill that we all vehemently opposed just seven months ago,” caucus members wrote in a letter outlining their stance.