House Democrats on Thursday launched a discharge petition to force a floor vote on permanently blocking the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. The move, led by House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), seeks to prohibit taxpayer funds from compensating anyone covered under President Trump's settlement with the IRS in May.
The petition tests whether Republicans who have criticized the fund will translate their complaints into votes to kill it. It also measures whether Democrats can sustain their recent success with discharge petitions — a tactic once considered a long-shot but now proven potent.
Eight discharge petitions have already gathered the required 218 signatures this congressional session, according to Axios. The Justice Department scrapped the fund earlier this month amid backlash from both parties, but Democrats and a federal judge have expressed doubt the fund is truly abolished.
Raskin's bill, the NO CARTE BLANCHE Act, would write the elimination into law. If it reaches the floor, the vote could pressure House Speaker Mike Johnson and test GOP unity on an issue President Trump has championed.
Critics argue the fund, intended to shield administration allies from retaliation, represents an unprecedented use of taxpayer money. Democrats say only a legislative ban can prevent its revival.