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Article snippet: Two Democratic amendments aimed at President Trump’s travel expenses and potential business profits failed late Wednesday. The House Armed Services Committee voted 30-32 against an amendment from Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) to prohibit Pentagon funds from being used at properties owned by Trump or his immediate family members. Republican Reps. Walter Jones (N.C.) and Mike Coffman (Colo.) joined all committee Democrats in voting for the amendment. The committee also voted 31-31 on an amendment offered by Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.) that would have required quarterly reports on Trump’s travel expenses. The tie meant the amendment failed. Jones, Coffman and Rep. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) voted with Democrats. Democrats argued their amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) were to make sure taxpayer dollars meant for the Pentagon aren’t being wasted, that Trump isn’t using the presidency for profit and that Trump isn’t violating the emoluments clause in the Constitution that prevents officials from receiving payments from foreign governments. Republicans, meanwhile, shot back that Democrats were wasting the committee’s time and relitigating the 2016 election. Among the Republicans who opposed the Democratic amendments was Rep. Mike Conaway (Texas), who is also leading the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation. On Speier’s amendment, Conaway said it was not one of the “worthy issues” the committee had been considering up to that poin... Link to the full article to read more