House Democrat seeks to prohibit federal spending at Trump businesses

A Democrat’s proposed amendments to an upcoming federal spending package on the House floor would prohibit taxpayer funds from being used at businesses owned by President Trump.

The House is expected to consider a spending package providing funds for multiple agencies during the first week of September, ahead of a deadline at the end of the month to avoid a government shutdown.

Rep. Steve Cohen’s (D-Tenn.) amendments to the legislation would ban the use of federal spending at Trump-owned hotels, resorts, golf clubs or any other businesses listed in the president’s financial disclosure form.

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“Congress should not allow the President to use his office to profit himself and his family,” Cohen said in a statement. “The President’s refusal to divest from his privately owned businesses creates a conflict of interest when steering federal spending to his resorts and other businesses.”

Trump has spent almost every weekend since taking office in January at his family-owned properties, including his Northern Virginia golf course located roughly an hour from the White House, his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

The Washington Post reported in July that the State Department spent more than $15,000 to book rooms at the Trump hotel in Vancouver when members of the president’s family attended its grand opening in February. 

The spending package slated for House consideration in September includes funding for the departments of Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and State.

The House previously passed a national-security themed spending bill in July that included $1.6 billion to start building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a top priority for Trump.

Cohen, as well as Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), submitted similar amendments to prevent taxpayer funds from going to Trump properties to the spending bill in July.

But House GOP leaders, who want to avoid forcing their members to take tough votes relating to Trump, did not allow floor votes on any of those amendments.

Cohen faces a long shot in securing votes on his amendments in September as well.

The Tennessee liberal announced last week that he will file articles of impeachment against Trump over his response to the violence stemming from a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va. Trump has blamed both hate groups and counterprotesters for the violence.