Washington — Former Vice President Mike Pence expressed on Sunday his hope that the Trump administration will reconsider and abandon the controversial “anti-weaponization fund,” which has encountered resistance on Capitol Hill and caused a rift among Republicans.
“It’s simply unacceptable to create a fund that could possibly reward individuals who attacked law enforcement and damaged the Capitol on that day,” Pence remarked during an interview on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
The proposed $1.776 billion fund is designed to provide taxpayer-funded compensation to those claiming the legal system has been unfairly used against them. This initiative, part of a settlement from a lawsuit filed by President Trump against the IRS, has created divisions within the Republican Party. Some of Trump’s supporters, including those charged in connection with the January 6th Capitol attack, have shown keen interest in filing claims.
This contentious fund was at the center of a intense discussion among Senate Republicans earlier this month, resulting in GOP leaders putting aside plans to allocate funds for immigration enforcement. On Sunday, Pence shared his reassurance, noting the significant number of Senate Republicans who have voiced their opposition to the fund.
“I sincerely hope the administration will decide to completely abandon this idea,” he stated.
Pence, who was a target during the Capitol riots as he prepared to affirm President Joe Biden’s victory after the electoral votes were counted on January 6, 2021, emphasized that “those who attacked police officers and defaced the Capitol should not receive even a single taxpayer dollar from this fund or any other source.”
Senate Republicans have sought answers on how the fund will operate and who might receive payments from it, along with possible guardrails to prevent people who assaulted law enforcement from being compensated.
Pence emphasized that the Justice Department “can settle these issues where people have had their rights trampled on, and ought to do that.” He added, “I welcome that settlement greatly.”
On Friday, a federal judge temporarily barred the Justice Department from moving forward with work on the fund. The DOJ has expressed confidence in the fund’s legality amid a handful of challenges to its implementation.
Asked about the Jan. 6 attack more broadly, Pence said he’s “certainly seen evidence” that the administration is white washing that day, saying he was “offended on the anniversary of Jan. 6 when the White House put out a timeline that literally blamed Capitol Hill police for the riot that took place that day.”
“Look, I’m very confident of the judgment of history in the years ahead, about our role, about all the Republicans and Democrats who returned that day after Capitol Police secured the Capitol, and we all did our duty under the Constitution,” Pence said. “There’s clearly been an effort by some to rewrite that history, but I don’t expect it’ll work.”
