On Wednesday, Donald Trump Jr. criticized the continuing resolution (CR) due to a provision regarding subpoenas for House data, amplifying the discontent from allies of President-elect Trump toward the stopgap spending measure.
He expressed his disapproval on the social platform X, stating, “So the House is going to vote to protect itself from glaring and obvious wrongdoing? The American people didn’t vote for this. They voted for the opposite. They voted for transparency. This cannot pass.”
In his post, Trump Jr. shared insights from conservative media figure Benny Johnson, who pointed out a CR provision that he claimed would allow Congress to obstruct subpoenas for House data, such as emails. Johnson argued that this could hinder investigations into the now-dissolved House committee that looked into the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
The CR includes a provision stating that “upon a motion made promptly by a House office or provider for a House office, a court of competent jurisdiction shall quash or modify any legal process directed to the provider for a House office if compliance with the legal process would require the disclosure of House data of the House office.”
Released just days before the impending shutdown deadline on Friday, the text of the stopgap measure aims to extend the deadline to March, providing the next Congress and incoming president additional time to determine government funding for most of the upcoming year.
Numerous add-ons are included in the bill, such as disaster aid for hurricane recovery and agricultural assistance, a healthcare agreement addressing reforms in the pharmacy benefit manager sector, an extension of the farm bill, and a provision facilitating the relocation of the Washington Commanders’ stadium to D.C.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is under scrutiny from some GOP members regarding the bill, with detractors contending that it resembles an extensive omnibus rather than a temporary funding solution.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and co-leader of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), also criticized the stopgap spending agreement, urging congressional members to reject the expansive bill if they are genuinely committed to improving government efficiency.
Elon Musk, another co-leader of DOGE, encouraged Americans on X to contact their elected representatives to voice their opposition to the bill.