Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, urged President Donald Trump to veto the short-term spending bill and said that the lack of wall funding in the bill serves as a “complete surrender.”
The House will likely vote on a continuing resolution (CR) Thursday that would fund the government through February 8. That would kick the border wall funding fight to when Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) likely becomes the next Speaker of the House.
Budd announced on Twitter on Thursday he will vote against the CR and urged the president to oppose the legislation.
Budd wrote, “I wanted to let you know where I am on the government funding bill the House will be voting on later today: 1 – I will be voting against it. 2 – I am encouraging President Trump to veto it if it passes.”
“The fact that we are even considering a bill with zero dollars for the border wall is nothing short of a complete surrender, and it is my hope that President Trump will refuse to sign it,” Budd continued. “Republicans have control of the House for 14 more days, but we sure aren’t acting like it.”
Budd continued, noting that now would serve as the best time for a border wall fight, especially compared to when Pelsoi becomes Speaker.
The North Carolina congressman asked rhetorically, “If we are not willing to fight for a border wall now, do we really expect there to be a better opportunity when Nancy Pelosi is in power? Now is the time for us to draw a line in the sand and make a very clear contrast.”
“There are those that wish to secure our Southern Border with a wall, and there are those who, for mostly political reasons, would rather see the government shut down than do any such thing,” Budd concluded. “Please know that I will be making this case until the very end.”
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) and many other House conservatives led a special order on Wednesday night, urging the president to veto the spending bill, or, to include their amendment that would both partially fund the border wall to the tune of $5 billion and end America’s “catch and release” policy.
Chairman Meadows said:
I think that it’s appropriate to remind the American people that there is a bad case of Potomac fever up here in Washington, D.C. They forget what they promised the American people and yet what they must do is not forget it this time. Mr. President we’re going to back you up if you veto this bill, we’ll be there, but more importantly, the American people will be there, they’ll be there to support you. [Emphasis added.]
“Let’s build the wall and make sure that we do our job in Congress,” Meadows said.