Julia Letlow

Republican senators in Washington – including Sen. Bill Cassidy – are expressing opposition to spending nearly $1.8 billion to create a federal fund to compensate people claiming political persecution and another $1 billion for President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom.

But the two Republicans running to replace Cassidy – U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming – are standing firm with the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, the two Democrats vying to succeed Cassidy – farmer Jamie Davis and business owner Gary Crockett – are blasting Trump’s plans.

Senate Republicans on Thursday held up consideration of legislation to finance Trump’s immigration crackdown because it included his “anti-weaponization fund” as part of a settlement that the IRS reached with him to drop his lawsuit against the agency.

Trump wants the money to compensate people who claim they were treated unfairly by Democrats and the Biden administration. Those who could seek the money include Trump supporters convicted of ransacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and attacking police officers.

Speaking three days after Trump’s endorsement of Letlow helped torpedo his reelection campaign, Cassidy offered a scathing comment about the plan during a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday.

Speaking of Trump, he said, “It’s as if somebody sued themselves, agreed upon a settlement with themselves, and that’s going to be funded by the rest of us. There’s no legal precedent for this.”

Cassidy added, “I can tell you: the voters don’t like that, or if they like it, maybe they’re in on it. I’m not in on it.”

That’s not Letlow’s view.

“The Biden administration weaponized the Department of Justice against political opponents,” she said in a statement. “That is one of the most serious abuses of power we have seen in modern American history. If people were wrongly targeted by a weaponized federal government, they deserve accountability and relief."

Fleming shares that opinion.

“If they have big legal bills from excessive prosecution, I think it’s the responsibility of the government to compensate them for losses,” Fleming said in an interview. “The biggest critics on this had nothing to say about the Biden slush funds worked out with Ukraine where money went directly to the Biden family. It just depends on whose ox is being gored.”

Davis, who farms in northeast Louisiana, had nothing good to say about Trump’s plan.

“It’s ridiculous,” Davis said. “Louisiana is about to lose 18 rural hospitals. $1.8 billion would help fix that. Our farmers lost nearly $2 billion because of tariffs. $1.8 billion would make them whole. Our flood protection projects are underfunded. $1.8 billion would protect our communities.”

Crockett, who owns four small companies and lives in New Orleans, spoke harshly of Trump and his Republican supporters in Washington.

“Mysteriously, they can find funding for projects that don’t fund the American people but can fund him,” Crockett said in an interview. “They’re taking money that is meant for a grifter.”

Debate over a ballroom

Cassidy was equally critical of Trump’s plans for security upgrades and an East Wing ballroom.

“I think this is a spit-in-the-eye insult to all my taxpayers in Louisiana to spend $1 billion on a ballroom when we should be doing something about the high price of gas, groceries and health care,” Cassidy said.

Letlow doesn’t see it that way.

“The ballroom itself is privately funded,” she said in a statement, although that point has not been clearly established. “What Congress is being asked to consider is security infrastructure. I support making sure the President and the White House are properly protected."

Fleming noted that previous presidents approved renovations of the White House, although Trump demolished the East Wing without approval.

“If it’s a legitimate project, then sometimes you do have to have taxpayers cover the cost,” Fleming said. “It’s not unprecedented. I don’t know why President Trump would be singled out.”

Davis disagrees with Trump’s plan.

“You tell the American people that private donors will pay for the construction job on our White House,” Davis said. “You tear it down and then ask the taxpayers for money? No and hell no.”