GOP Rejects Measure That Prevents Trump From Compensating J6 Detainees
The House Rules Committee on Tuesday rejected a Democratic amendment that sought to prevent anyone charged or convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot from receiving compensation through a newly announced federal restitution fund connected to the Trump administration.
The fight centers on a $1.8 billion compensation fund announced Monday by the United States Department of Justice. The fund is part of a broader settlement arrangement tied to President Donald Trump dropping a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns from 2019 and 2020 by a contractor.
Democrats and other critics have objected to the fund, arguing that Congress has not formally appropriated the $1.8 billion. They have also raised concerns after attorneys representing Jan. 6 defendants indicated publicly that they may seek payments from the fund on behalf of their clients.
During the Rules Committee hearing, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) offered an amendment that would have blocked individuals charged or convicted in connection with the Capitol riot from receiving compensation through the program.
“I move the committee add a new section to the rule providing immediate consideration of HR 7711, the No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act, so this bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to compensate individuals who were prosecuted for their involvement in the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” said McGovern.
“Additionally, my motion would self-execute an amendment that would require the attorney general of the United States to disclose any payments made by the so-called anti-weaponization fund, which was created by the corrupt settlement agreement between Donald Trump and his own administration,” he continued.
“This secret slush fund should be an outrage to every American, no matter your politics.”
Republicans on the committee rejected the amendment, prompting McGovern to lash out on social media shortly afterward.
“Republicans just voted AGAINST my amendment to stop Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund from bailing out the convicted felons who assaulted cops on January 6th,” he wrote. “You read that right. They blocked us from even debating the issue on the House floor. Beyond shameful.”
The Democratic outrage comes as the party continues to face criticism from conservatives for years of soft-on-crime policies, support for defunding police movements, and sanctuary city policies that shield illegal aliens, including those accused of serious crimes against Americans.
For Republicans, the fight is not merely about Jan. 6. It is about whether Americans who claim they were targeted through government weaponization should have access to restitution without Democrats carving out politically motivated exceptions.
House Passes Major Housing Bill In Bipartisan Vote
Separately, the House delivered a major bipartisan victory on Wednesday by passing a housing bill aimed at expanding homeownership, lowering costs, and preventing large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes.
The amended 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed in a commanding 396-13 vote, sending the legislation to the Senate. The bill gives Republicans a potential cost-of-living win as voters continue to worry about affordability, housing supply, and the growing influence of corporate buyers in the residential market.
House leaders described the bill as a direct response to the housing affordability crisis affecting millions of American families.
“Increased housing costs and lack of quality supply are two issues that impact nearly every American family,” Johnson said.
He called the legislation a “strong bipartisan package that will put more American families into homes.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) also emphasized the practical benefit for working Americans.
“This is something that every American in this country will be happy to see, to have lower housing costs,” Scalise said.
A central part of the legislation targets institutional investors. The House version keeps a ban on large corporate investors buying newly built single-family homes, a priority supported by the Trump administration.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.) said the legislation directly advances President Trump’s housing agenda by focusing on families, supply, affordability, and fewer regulatory burdens.
“This bill prioritizes American families by expanding homeownership, enhancing affordability, reducing burdensome regulations that drive up costs, and increasing housing supply nationwide,” Hill said.
“Importantly, it delivers on President Trump’s call to limit institutional investors from competing with the American people as they seek to purchase a home,” he added.
The housing package now heads to the Senate, where Republicans will likely frame it as a commonsense answer to one of the most painful economic problems facing American families: the dream of homeownership becoming harder to reach while institutional investors gain ground.