WASHINGTON — A House subcommittee examined Justice Department funding proposals, including a now-abandoned plan for a $1.8 billion fund, during an oversight hearing this week.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies on Tuesday, addressing the department’s budget priorities and specific funding initiatives.
The hearing focused in part on the Trump administration’s proposal for a roughly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund intended to compensate individuals who claim they were targeted by prior Justice Department actions. Blanche told lawmakers the department is no longer pursuing the initiative.
“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said, according to multiple reports of the hearing.
The fund had faced significant congressional pushback and legal challenges. Some Republican senators had indicated that resolving concerns over the proposal was necessary to advance related appropriations measures. Critics described it as lacking sufficient oversight and potentially functioning as a mechanism to reward political allies, while supporters argued it addressed perceived abuses by previous administrations.
Details on the precise structure and eligibility criteria for the proposed fund remained limited during the hearing. The administration had previously positioned it as a way to support victims of government overreach.
Broader discussion at the hearing touched on the department’s overall fiscal year 2026 budget request, which includes funding for core law enforcement operations, immigration enforcement, drug interdiction and other priorities. Lawmakers from both parties raised questions about resource allocation for federal prosecutors, grants to state and local law enforcement, and efforts to combat various forms of crime.
Democrats on the panel expressed concerns about proposed reductions in certain grant programs, including those supporting violence against women initiatives and local policing assistance. Republicans emphasized priorities such as border security and reducing waste in federal spending.
Blanche, serving in an acting capacity, also fielded questions on ongoing departmental operations and personnel matters. The hearing occurred amid his nomination process to become the permanent attorney general.
The subcommittee’s review forms part of the annual appropriations process for the Commerce-Justice-Science bill. Congress is working to finalize funding levels for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Specific outcomes from the hearing on individual funding lines were not immediately detailed in public statements.
No immediate votes or legislative actions resulted directly from Tuesday’s session, which served primarily as an oversight and information-gathering exercise. Further hearings and markup sessions on the Justice Department’s budget are expected in coming weeks.
