Freedom Caucus Introduces Short-Term Spending Bill as Alternative to Bad Border Deal

The House Freedom Caucus unveiled a short-term spending bill on Wednesday as an alternative to Congress’ compromise border security bill which would give the House and Senate more time to work on a border security solution.

The House Freedom Caucus unveiled a one-week continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through February 22. The government will shut down this Friday if Congress does not pass a spending bill. Democrat and Republican leadership continues to negotiate to find a solution that could fund the government to provide more border wall funding; however, conservatives have lamented the lack of border wall funding in the provision.

The compromise bill reportedly contains only $1.3 billion in border wall funding which serves as a fraction of President Donald Trump’s requested $5.7 billion in border wall funding. This funding would provide roughly 55 miles of new border wall along America’s approximately 2,000 mile-long southern border.

Freedom Caucus sponsors of the border wall bill include:

• House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC)
• House Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan (R-OH)
• Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)
• Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA)
• Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA)
• Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD)
• Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)

Chairman Meadows said in a press release on Wednesday that lawmakers need more time to read the several thousand page-long bill and that Congress needs more time to negotiate a better deal. Meadows said:

The conference report is projected to be thousands of pages long and was negotiated behind closed doors. We believe that Members should be given enough time to read it before voting on it, so they can decide whether or not a better deal can be negotiated. Congress should pass a continuing resolution to give Members enough time to make these considerations on behalf of the American families and communities they represent.

Congressman Biggs said in a statement on Wednesday:

Like many of my colleagues, I am frustrated that this current proposal ignores input from experts on our southern border. I introduced this short-term continuing resolution – a spending bill – to provide time to negotiate more effective border security without the threat of another government shutdown. Border security is national security, and Congress must protect all Americans.

“I urge Members of Congress to do more to secure the border than what has currently been presented in this deal,” Biggs said.

On Tuesday, Meadows said he does not support the congressional compromise border security deal and that he would expect the president to take some form of executive action to secure America’s southern border.

Meadows said, “I don’t support it, and I don’t like it… I can tell you, it’s just not only a bad deal for the president, ultimately, I expect him to sign it and keep the government open as a vehicle. But if he does that, then certainly, executive action should be his next course of action.”

Meadows added, “I expect him to follow up with some type of executive action, whether that’s a national emergency or some of the other tools in his toolbox.”