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Twenty-one Republicans broke with President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday evening in an attempt to derail a $1.2 trillion spending bill to end a government shutdown, citing concerns that the legislation didn’t do enough to advance GOP priorities.
Among a range of reasons, lawmakers argued the bill needed to include provisions shoring up election integrity, come with full-year funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and eliminate Democrat-requested earmarks.
The lawmakers that voted against the measure included:
Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., Eric Burlison, R-Mo., Kat Cammack, R-Fla., Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Randy Fine, R-Fla., Brandon Gill, R-Texas, Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Cory Mills, R-Fla., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Scott Perry, R-Pa., Chip Roy, R-Texas, David Schweikert, R-Ariz., Keith Self, R-Texas, Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Greg Steube, R-Fla., and William Timmons, R-S.C.
TRUMP UNDERCUTS GOP PUSH TO ATTACH SAVE ACT TO SHUTDOWN BILL AS CONSERVATIVES THREATEN MUTINY
Thomas Massie, R-Ky., condemned what he saw as a failure to shore up election integrity with the exclusion of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — a bill requiring photo ID for registering voters looking to participate in federal elections.
“And most importantly… BLOCKED: the inclusion of the SAVE Act to protect our elections from illegal aliens — a top priority for conservatives,” Massie said in a long list of reasons he posted to X on why he had voted against the package.
Massie alongside other Republicans like Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had called for Republicans to tie the SAVE Act into the 2026 funding bill.
He wasn’t the only Republican to vent frustrations online.
Other lawmakers voted against the bill because of a distrust that Democrats would negotiate in good faith over outstanding considerations to fund DHS.
“The fact that Chuck Schumer is able to somehow get Republicans to pass a version that includes all of their stuff — but only a two-week funding measure for Homeland Security, I think, is a fool’s bet,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R- Mo. said.
The bill, which now heads to the desk of President Donald Trump for his signature, includes funding for the departments of War, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services.
REPUBLICANS, DEMS BREAK THROUGH RESISTANCE, MOVE FORWARD WITH TRUMP-BACKED FUNDING PACKAGE
Despite the opposition from the 21 Republicans, the bill passed by a bipartisan 217-214 vote.
Tuesday marks the second time the House of Representatives has considered this legislation.
The bill hit roadblocks after the House passed it for the first time in January, when Democrats in the Senate balked at its lack of safeguards for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of two fatal confrontations in Minnesota between immigration enforcement and civilians.
Democrats across both chambers of Congress have demanded new restrictions on ICE’s operations, such as a prohibition against wearing masks, an elimination of ICE’s roaming patrols, body camera requirements, stronger warrant restrictions and visible law enforcement identification.
As a part of the package, lawmakers included a two-week extension to DHS funding, giving negotiators time to work through disagreements on provisions for ICE while avoiding a broader government shutdown.
Having passed that compromise bill, lawmakers have until the end of next week to hammer out an agreement on funding for DHS or else risk a lapse in its funding.
In addition to ICE, the DHS bill covers funding for the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Lawmakers concerned about that funding also voted against the bill on Tuesday, expressing disappointment Republicans hadn’t used the moment to push for DHS fundng.
“I voted NO on the 5-bill minibus,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said in a post to X on Tuesday.
“Republicans have the trifecta and we should fund DHS at Trump levels for strong border security,” Boebert said.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., blasted the bill for, in his view, not utilizing Republican negotiating power.
“We gotta start negotiating from power,” Burchett said in a video he posted. “Trump will tell you: negotiate from power.”
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