Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Four Texas Republicans joined a coalition of far-right representatives in voting against legislation on Friday that aimed to prevent a federal government shutdown over the weekend. As a result, House Republicans’ unlikely attempt to keep the government funded was thwarted.
U.S. Reps. Michael Cloud of Victoria, Wesley Hunt of Houston, Troy Nehls of Richmond and Keith Self of McKinney voted against the funding bill.
The legislation proposed would have extended the government’s operation for an additional 30 days, providing Congress with sufficient time to finalize the appropriations legislation for the upcoming fiscal year starting on Sunday. Moreover, it aimed to significantly reduce funding for numerous federal programs by 30 percent, in addition to implementing the border strengthening measures that Republicans have been advocating for a considerable period of time.
However, representatives from the far-right argued that the legislation failed to address their main concerns, such as strengthening immigration enforcement at the border and significantly reducing funding for Justice Department investigations into former President Donald Trump. Some members strongly opposed any form of temporary spending measure and advocated for the passage of yearlong appropriations bills instead.
Hunt expressed his dissent regarding the continuing resolution in a social media post following the vote, stating, “My vote today was a clear NO, as I refuse to support the repetition of Washington’s unsuccessful fiscal strategies of the past three decades. I am determined not to endorse the perpetuation of the money printing practice that has led America towards imminent financial collapse.”
On Friday, the bill faced opposition from 21 far-right Republicans from Texas, along with unanimous resistance from all Democrats. Ultimately, the measure was rejected by a vote of 198-232.
If the funding bill is not passed, it is likely that the government will shut down by the end of the fiscal year this weekend. While crucial services like Border Patrol and air traffic control will still operate, numerous federal employees will not receive their pay. Although Social Security and Medicare payments will mostly continue as usual, offices assisting with eligibility renewals will be closed.
The move left other Republicans furious.
“21 Republicans sided with Democrats to kill the only conservative temporary government funding measure on the table,” U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, said in a social media post. “Importantly, the bill included our Border Security bill. It was a hardline stance that focused our efforts on the border, and yet these 21 took it down. You can’t justify this.”
“Unfortunately, some Republicans sided with Democrats today NOT to fund government and secure our border,” U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, posted on social media. “Most of us come here to work, but some come here for other reasons.”
If every House Republican had united in support of Friday’s funding bill, it would still have been unsuccessful in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. The bill contained various provisions that were strongly opposed by Democrats and were considered detrimental to their interests. These provisions included restarting the construction of a border wall, requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico until their cases are resolved, and imposing stricter penalties on migrants who exceed their visa duration.
The Senate has coalesced on largely bipartisan terms around its own temporary measure that would keep the government funded until mid-November. The bill is still making its way through the Senate with the backing of Senate Republican leaders. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, however, opposes the Senate bill.
House Democrats are calling on Republicans to permit a vote on the bipartisan Senate bill, although this move may lead to a challenge from the far-right against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, who has expressed his strong disapproval of the speaker, has declared that he will initiate a vote to remove McCarthy if he supports the bipartisan approach.
Republicans have faced challenges in managing their ideologically varied conference, and Democrats have promptly held them responsible for any potential shutdown. Moreover, Democrats have cautioned about the adverse consequences of a government shutdown on Border Patrol personnel, potentially impacting border security by disrupting their pay.
Border Patrol officers will be “working without a paycheck. They’ve still got mortgages, they’ve still got kids in school, they’ve still got families,” said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo. “We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
