Ranking Member DeLauro Statement on ‘Million-Dollar Jackpot’ Provision in GOP Funding Bill
WASHINGTON – Today, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement on a provision Senate Republicans dropped into their funding bill at the last minute that would deliver millions in taxpayer-funded payouts to eight Senators investigated for their role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection:
“While families receive notices about skyrocketing premiums — and the Trump administration fights tooth and nail to block hungry families from receiving SNAP benefits — the Senate snuck a provision into its government funding legislation to line their own personal bank accounts with millions of taxpayer dollars. What makes this corruption so staggering is that the payout is specifically designed to go to eight Senators whose phone records were lawfully subpoenaed under due process by the Department of Justice.
“These eight Senators all voted to shove taxpayer dollars into their own pockets – $500,000 for each time their records were inspected – and reports indicate that these eight Senators will be paid at least $1 million each, but potentially much more. At least a million dollars, guaranteed, for Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
“By inserting this poison pill payout into the Legislative Branch bill the Senate majority has set a dangerous precedent and created additional obstacles for conversations between the four corners moving forward on the remaining 2026 funding bills.
“American families are living paycheck to paycheck. Instead of working to lower costs and put more money in Americans’ pockets, Senate Republicans are racing to hand out tax breaks to billionaires — and pay themselves for their work with President Trump to overturn the 2020 election. This provision must be removed. House Democrats will never support legislation that rewards co-conspirators with a massive taxpayer-funded payday.”
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