Jill Steen Dilgard filed her Camp Lejeune claim in August 2022. She is still waiting for payment. Her father, uncle and two cousins served at the base and died of cancer, NC Newsline reports. The government has had years to examine her claim. Donald Trump has found something else for families to wait for: a Republican Congress.

At his Greenville rally Tuesday, Trump said he was directing the Justice Department to settle remaining legitimate claims as soon as possible. Then came the condition: “If we don’t win, there’s no money.”

As soon as possible has acquired a campaign calendar.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act created the claims process in 2022, covering people exposed to contaminated water at the base between 1953 and 1987. Money was set aside years ago. This is compensation sought for illness, not a prize the president has just discovered in the rally budget.

Make powerful people uncomfortable.
Subscribe to Democrawonk.

There are real procedural obstacles. Rep. Deborah Ross says a court backlog has slowed claims; her bipartisan bill to cap attorney fees and speed trials has not moved. Trump’s statement does not establish a new legal eligibility rule or prove he can switch the money off. But an unresolved legal claim is already quite enough uncertainty for a sick family. The president has generously supplied an election to follow as well.

He also wants the money to reach families rather than trial lawyers. The directness is touching. Dilgard has spent four years waiting for her claim to be paid, and the president’s proposed shortcut now passes through every competitive House and Senate race.

No unnecessary intermediaries. Just Congress.