In a bold procedural move, Senator Richard Blumenthal has forced a vote to send former President Donald Trump’s controversial bill back to committee. The goal? To add a provision that would explicitly ban the use of taxpayer funds in connection with a $400 million luxury airplane reportedly gifted by Qatar.
The amendment aims to ensure that no U.S. public funds support or enable the acceptance of what some critics are calling a foreign bribe. If passed, this would put every Republican Senator on record—either supporting or opposing stricter oversight of foreign gifts to former presidents.
Democrats argue that accepting such gifts without transparency or consequence sets a dangerous precedent and could violate federal ethics laws or the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, depending on the nature of the exchange. The Qatar jet, allegedly a Boeing 747 once belonging to the Qatari royal family, has raised eyebrows amid ongoing questions about Trump’s foreign ties and post-presidency business dealings.
With the forced vote, Democrats are strategically putting pressure on their GOP colleagues to publicly state whether they support protections against foreign influence—or will shield Trump from scrutiny.