House Freedom Caucus leaders on Friday rejected a Senate-passed DHS funding bill as Senators leave town for a two-week Easter recess.
The Senate very early Friday morning, after a marathon session, unanimously approved a voice-vote package to fund the Department of Homeland Security, except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and key parts of Customs and Border Protection.
Democrats flat-out refused to support full funding without gutting immigration raids and deportation operations.
Instead of fighting for the full funding, Thune and the Senate GOP folded in the dead of night, when no one was watching.
Thune then left town with a private escort.
Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) on Friday morning said the Freedom Caucus leaders are going to flat-out reject the Senate’s bill.
“What the Senate just sent over to the House is so laughably bad – uh, we’re rejecting it out of hand,” Chip Roy said.
He continued, “They sent over a bill that’s not gonna fund ICE and Border Patrol and stand with the great men and women that are defending our country. We reject that. We’re gonna stand along side our law enforcement personnel. We’re gonna have a full-throated debate. We’re gonna decide what we’re gonna do but suffice it to say, we’re gonna stand with those who are standing up for us for defending our country. We need to fully fund them… we’re not gonna move this Senate bill.”