In a recent vote on the “Continuing Appropriations and Border Security Enhancement Act, 2024,” several House Republicans chose to vote against the bill, aligning themselves with the Democrats. Those who voted “no” included Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Rep. Lauren Boebert and Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas, Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, and Rep. Keith Self of Texas.
When contacted by Fox News Digital, several of these Republicans explained their reasons for voting against the bill. Rep. Mary Miller stated, “I voted no on the ‘CR’ continuing resolution because I will not be part of the process to kick government funding down the road until the holidays, when Senate and House ‘insiders’ will agree to ram through some massive omnibus with Ukraine funding behind closed doors.” She also directed the clerk to withhold her pay and expressed her commitment to hold Joe Biden and the DC Swamp accountable through the power of the purse.
Similarly, Rep. Troy Nehls expressed his dissatisfaction with the bill, stating, “When House Republicans took the gavel in January, we made a promise to the American people to pass 12 individual appropriation bills to avoid a Continuing Resolution in the first place. While this bill makes significant spending cuts and enhances border security, it allows illegal aliens to remain in our communities and continue to wreak havoc across the country. I remain committed to fighting against out-of-control, reckless spending. I refuse to adhere to the traditions of the Swamp. I remain committed to restoring fiscal sanity in Washington, D.C., and fight to always put America FIRST.”
Aside from the “Continuing Appropriations and Border Security Enhancement Act, 2024,” there was another recent vote that attracted attention. Republican representative Chip Roy of Texas proposed an amendment to the House spending bill that aimed to strip government funding from drag shows and “pride” events at the Department of Defense. However, the amendment was defeated by a margin of 231 to 202, with surprising support from 18 House Republicans who aligned themselves with their liberal colleagues and voted against the amendment.
The defeated amendment sought to address concerns over the Department of Defense’s allocation of funds towards events that many Republicans believe don’t contribute to maintaining military readiness or addressing more pressing issues. Rep. Chip Roy argued that the Pentagon should prioritize maintaining military readiness rather than hosting drag queen events and indoctrinating troops. However, despite the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, the amendment did not pass.
This unexpected show of support from 18 Republican representatives who voted against the amendment has drawn criticism. These representatives were accused of siding with their liberal colleagues and hindering the implementation of what some consider to be a common-sense amendment. The names of these 18 Republicans who voted against the amendment include Buck, Calvert, Chavez-DeRemer, Curtis, D’Esposito, Duarte, Fitzpatrick, Garbarino, Gonzales, Herrera-Beutler, Hinson, Law, Majors, Pappas, Rutherford, Smith, Stauber, and Strickland.
The defeat of both the bill and the amendment highlights the ongoing differences within the Republican Party and the challenges facing the party in maintaining a united front in Congress. As the Biden administration pushes forward with its agenda, Republicans will need to find common ground and work together in order to effectively oppose policies they disagree with. With major issues such as government spending and military priorities at stake, finding unity within the party is crucial for Republicans to present a strong and effective opposition.
Source link
