House Passes Disaster Bill Without Border Security Funding

House Democrats managed to pass a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill Monday that does not contain border security funding, sending the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk to sign.

The House voted 354-58, featuring strong bipartisan support for the measure and strong conservative opposition to the $19.1 billion disaster aid package.

House conservatives, led by Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and John Rose (R-TN) blocked Democrat unanimous consent votes over the past week, contending that the House should have a recorded vote on the measure. The conservatives also wanted the spending offset, and Rep. Roy believed that the legislation should have Trump’s requested $4.5 billion in border security and humanitarian relief funding for the migrant crisis at America’s southern border.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) cheered the passage of the legislation, although, he criticized Democrats for dragging their feet on border security funding.

McCarthy said in a statement Monday:

However, it’s unfortunate that Democrats dragged their feet for so long and yet still refuse to address the humanitarian and national security crisis taking place along our southern border. Just last week, Border Patrol caught a group of 1,036 immigrants illegally crossing the border. This figure smashed the previous record of 424 immigrants at once, which was set just last month. These are not the types of records America should be breaking – Democrats must acknowledge this crisis and join Republicans in fixing the broken system.

In an interview with Breitbart News, Massie railed against Pelosi’s actions, calling them “legislative malpractice.”

The House Republicans also chastised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “broken” leadership, suggesting that they could have easily passed the legislation before the Memorial Day weekend, however, Pelosi had to leave to attend fundraisers and other events.

Roy asked rhetorically in an op-ed last week, “The American people were working, why wasn’t the People’s House in town to vote? The simple but sad answer is that it would have disrupted their Memorial Day recess plans.”

Roy tweeted on Monday, “As the House looks poised today to pass the $19.1 billion-dollar disaster supplemental, Congress should act IMMEDIATELY and provide the $4.5 billion the Trump administration is requesting in supplemental border funding.”

The Texas conservative said last week that Washington has become “broken” because lawmakers continue to pass legislation with hurry and with little forethought.