Brian Fitzpatrick

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is standing up to President Donald Trump in his most dramatic way yet.

Fitzpatrick has emerged as one of the most vocal Republicans opposed to the Justice Department’s new $1.7 billion compensation fund for those who claimed they have been unfairly targeted by the U.S. government. In comments to MeidasTouch reporter Scott MacFarlane on Wednesday, Fitzpatrick vowed to “kill” the fund using legislative and oversight powers.

“We’re gonna try to kill it,” Fitzpatrick said.

“We’re considering legislative options. We’re gonna write a letter to the AG to start, but we’re considering a legislative option,” he added.

After Trump dropped his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Monday, the Justice Department announced it would be establishing the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Critics immediately blasted the fund, arguing that Trump is trying to hand out cash payments to his allies and Jan. 6 rioters.

According to the Justice Department, this fund can issue formal apologies and monetary relief owed to claimants who allege they were victims of legal weaponization by the U.S. government.

Fitzpatrick doubled down on his criticism of the fund on Wednesday’s episode of “The Source” on CNN.

“Every dime that we spend ought to be going to, and especially with people in mind, over half of Americans that are living paycheck to paycheck, that’s got to be at the forefront of every single House and Senate member’s mind with every dime that we appropriate,” Fitzpatrick told anchor Kaitlan Collins.

“So, for that and many other reasons, I am completely objecting to this, and I’m going to do everything I can to fight it,” he added.

He explained that the $1.7 billion fund needs to be approved by Congress.

“The executive branch does not have any money in its own right. Every dime they have is appropriated by Congress. So, I sent a letter to Mr. Blanche today, posing some very basic questions. He’s got a June 1st deadline to get me the answers of where this money is coming from,” he said.

“We want to know what account that money currently resides in, where is he pulling it from, what authority they have to do this. We’ll give him a chance to answer. But this is a debate that needs to be had, and will be had, Kaitlan, on the floor of the House, and it will be voted on. This is not a unilateral executive decision. If you’re dealing with appropriated money, that’s got to come through us,” he added.

Fitzpatrick warned there will be “consequences” if acting Attorney General Todd Blanche does not answer his questions.

“The reason why we asked him questions is we need to unpack what the genesis of this funding is, so that we know how to go about resolving this. I mean, depending on what that answer is, is going to depend on what we can do,” he said.

“But we need the answers to some basic questions, which is kind of the point of the problem here, is that we don’t even know the answers to those questions. So, we’re going to get them. And if we don’t, you know, we’ll deal with it either in this year’s appropriations or in remedial legislation, which my team is working on right now,” he added.

His comments came after Trump lashed out at Fitzpatrick in comments to reporters on Wednesday while speaking to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, who is engaged to the congressman.

“Her husband votes against me all the time. I don’t know what’s with him. You better ask him what’s with him,” Trump said.

“He likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? Doesn’t work out well,” he added.