New legislation in House would ban taxpayer money from going to Jan. 6 rioters
#Jan. 6 legislation #Capitol riot compensation #taxpayer money #pardoned rioters #restitution payments #House Democrats #Rep. Deborah Ross #financial settlements
📌 Key Takeaways
- House bill would ban taxpayer funding for Jan. 6 compensation funds
- Legislation specifically prevents refunds of court-ordered restitution payments
- Similar Senate legislation was introduced in January by Sen. Alex Padilla
- At least one $5 million settlement has already been approved for Ashli Babbitt's family
- Only 15% of court-ordered damages were paid before Trump's pardons
📖 Full Retelling
North Carolina Democratic Representative Deborah Ross introduced legislation in the House on February 25, 2026, to block taxpayer money from going to participants in the January 6 Capitol riot amid a wave of lawsuits filed by pardoned riot defendants seeking financial compensation, following at least one approved settlement and concerns that pardons absolved attackers from paying restitution for millions in damages. The bill specifically prohibits the distribution of taxpayer money for any 'January 6th compensation fund' and bans any further refund of damage payments made by convicted Capitol rioters, addressing a growing controversy following President Trump's blanket clemency of riot defendants. Ross emphasized that the pardons have 're-traumatized the victims' while noting that Trump's executive actions also relieved attackers from their obligation to pay restitution for the extensive damages caused during the insurrection. The legislation specifies that no funds shall be disbursed from the United States Treasury to refund any court-ordered compensation, including restitution, fines, or special assessments paid by individuals convicted for involvement in the January 6 attack, even if they were subsequently pardoned.
🏷️ Themes
Legislation, Capitol Riot Aftermath, Financial Accountability, Victims' Rights
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The House Democratic Caucus is a congressional caucus composed of all Democratic representatives in the United States House of Representatives, voting and non-voting, and is responsible for nominating and electing the Democratic Party leadership in the chamber. In its roles as a party conference, th...
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Original Source
Politics New legislation in House would ban taxpayer money from going to Jan. 6 rioters By Scott MacFarlane Scott MacFarlane Justice Correspondent Scott MacFarlane is CBS News' Justice correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws. Read Full Bio Scott MacFarlane February 25, 2026 / 7:00 AM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Amid a wave of lawsuits filed by pardoned Jan. 6 riot defendants against the federal government, some House Democrats are introducing legislation Wednesday to block any further taxpayer money from being awarded to participants in the Capitol siege, after at least one financial settlement. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Deborah Ross, a North Carolina Democrat who raised concerns at a hearing in January about the attempts by pardoned rioters to secure awards or restitution from their cases. "The pardons have re-traumatized the victims," Ross said at a hearing last month. Ross also noted that President Trump's blanket clemency of riot defendants also absolved the attackers from having to pay restitution for the millions of dollars in damages they caused during the Insurrection. Ross' new bill in the House would prohibit the distribution of taxpayer money for any "January 6th compensation fund" and ban any further refund of damage payments made by convicted Capitol rioters. "We now have the Proud Boys trying to take people's tax dollars and act like they were the victims on Jan. 6, which we know is patently false," Ross told CBS News. "We have got to make it very clear that Congress does not think these insurrectionists need to be rewarded for trying to overturn an election and for defacing property and for injuring Capitol police officers," she said. "It's absolutely ridiculous." Ross' legislation is similar to separate Senate legislation introduced in January by Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat whose committe...
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