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“We rise to offer two amendments today, one of which is the amendment that I’m bringing forward right now. That amendment deals with what we call general government—that portion of funding that covers a number of areas, including our judges and how judges are funded,” Roy said.
He went on to argue that Americans elect presidents to carry out clear mandates, only to see those policies stalled or dismantled by unelected judges operating with little consequence.
“One of the issues that we’ve been addressing is the extent to which the President, who is elected to fulfill a mandate, has been carrying out policies that he believes fulfill the mandate the American people gave him—mandates that members and my colleagues on this side of the aisle believe should be fulfilled,” Roy continued.
According to Roy, activist judges have increasingly substituted their own preferences for the will of voters, raising serious ethical concerns.
“And yet, there have been judges who have been putting their personal preferences and activist tendencies in front of the will of the people and in front of the policies the President is putting forward, in a way that raises serious questions about whether they are carrying out their jobs responsibly and in accordance with normal judicial ethics and procedures,” he said.
Roy made clear that his amendment was meant as a direct response to that trend.
“Therefore, I offer this amendment, which would reduce the budget of the district court, the D.C. District Court, and the D.C. Circuit Court by 20 percent, and would remove staff funding for Judges Boardman and Boasberg,” he stated.
“These two individuals have been particularly egregious in their contempt for the President and in placing their personal views ahead of their duty as judges to carry out the responsibilities of the offices they hold,” Roy added.
Later in his remarks, Roy emphasized Congress’s constitutional authority over the courts it creates and funds, accusing the D.C. judiciary of unchecked abuse of power.
“We created this court. We can dissolve this court. We can determine the funding for this court. The fact of the matter is, we have a situation right now where judges abuse their power—plain and simple. And the D.C. Circuit Court and the D.C. District Court are the locus of that abuse,” he said.
Roy also referenced what he described as harassment of Trump-era officials and associates by these courts.
“In particular, they have harassed staff members because people raise questions about why you would zero out staff. Well, I’ll tell you: ask Dan Scavino, ask Mark Meadows, ask a number of the people who have been targeted and harassed by these judges,” Roy declared.
“And January 6th—we should make amends. We should not fund this court to continue its lawlessness.”
WATCH:
Judge Boasberg has long been a lightning rod for conservatives, particularly for his role in authorizing sealed subpoenas and nondisclosure orders in politically sensitive investigations involving Republican officials, including actions connected to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe. Judge Boardman, meanwhile, ignited outrage after issuing a lenient sentence to the individual who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Despite these concerns, the amendment was crushed during Roll Call Vote No. 26. The final tally came in at 163 votes in favor and 257 against, with one member voting present and 16 not voting.
As expected, Democrats unanimously voted to defeat the proposal. But the real controversy erupted over the Republican defections. A total of 46 GOP lawmakers voted “no,” effectively sealing the amendment’s fate and igniting accusations of betrayal from grassroots conservatives.
For many on the Right, the vote was seen as yet another example of establishment Republicans protecting the Washington status quo at the expense of accountability and reform.
The Republicans who voted against the amendment were:
Don Bacon (NE), Rob Bresnahan Jr. (PA), Vern Buchanan (FL), Ken Calvert (CA), John Carter (TX), Tom Cole (OK), Mario Díaz-Balart (FL), Chuck Edwards (NC), Jake Ellzey (TX), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Mike Flood (NE), Vince Fong (CA), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Carlos A. Giménez (FL), Mike Haridopolos (FL), Jeff Hurd (CO), Darrell Issa (CA), Dusty Johnson (SD), Dave Joyce (OH), Thomas H. Kean Jr. (NJ), Jen Kiggans (VA), Kevin Kiley (CA), Kimberlyn King-Hinds (MP), Darin LaHood (IL), Nick LaLota (NY), Mike Lawler (NY), Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Celeste Maloy (UT), Michael McCaul (TX), Tom McClintock (CA), John Moolenaar (MI), Blake Moore (UT), Dan Newhouse (WA), Jay Obernolte (CA), Mike Rogers (AL), Hal Rogers (KY), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL), Austin Scott (GA), Mike Simpson (ID), Adrian Smith (NE), Mike Turner (OH), David Valadao (CA), Bruce Westerman (AR), Rob Wittman (VA), and Steve Womack (AR).
The failed amendment leaves conservatives fuming—and raises fresh questions about whether House Republicans are truly willing to confront what many voters see as an increasingly politicized federal judiciary.
