KEY VOTE: “NO” On the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 648)

KEY VOTE: House · Jan 23, 2019

​Heritage Action opposes the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 648) and will include it as a key vote on our legislative scorecard. ​​

Today, the House will vote on the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 648). Although this legislation would reopen parts of the federal government, Democrats purposely left out full-year funding for the Department of Homeland Security because they refuse to vote for anything that includes increased border security funding.

Leaving out full-year funding for DHS is absurd, hypocritical, and contrary to the Democrats’ demands that the full government be reopened before they negotiate. Speaker Pelosi cannot claim the President should reopen the government before negotiations can begin while simultaneously singling out DHS for further closure. Even though Speaker Pelosi has now scheduled a vote on a clean CR for DHS, the CR only opens DHS for one month and still neglects to fix the humanitarian and security crisis at our border.

Republicans should not fall for this ruse.

In addition, this bill hardens Democrats refusal to compromise as they continue playing partisan games against the President. Last Saturday, President Trump made it clear he is willing to work with Democrats to reopen the federal government but they uniformly rejected his offer even though it included an extension of the DACA program in exchange for border security funding. Democrats have shown that they will not settle for any legislation that doesn’t give them everything they want.

Lastly, Democrats claim that H.R. 648 is a series of Republican conferenced appropriations bills. This isn’t completely true. H.R. 648 purposely increases budget authority across all six appropriations bills, likely in an effort to sabotage any funding for the President’s border wall request in the future. The Republican majority from last Congress could have easily worked within the existing budget authority to provide increased funding for border security, and the current House Democratic majority could do so as well.

As made evident by Speaker Pelosi’s letter to the President asking him to delay his State of the Union address, Democrats have no interest in negotiating with the President but instead care more about playing political games. To that end, House Republicans should vote NO on this legislation and should insist on an appropriations bill that fully funds the President’s request for border security.

Related:

Kevin McCarthy: The Wall of Support among Congressional Democrats for Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer’s Refusal to Compromise is Crumbling
Heritage Action Press Release: The President Made it Clear That He Is Willing to Work With Democrats to Secure the Border
Fox News: In Shutdown Fight with Trump, Dems Reject Immigration Deal They Once Sponsored
White House: President Donald J. Trump Calls on Congress to Secure Our Borders and Protect the American People

​Heritage Action opposes the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 648) and will include it as a key vote on our legislative scorecard. ​​