Most Arizona House Republicans voted against DHS funding
WASHINGTON -- Republican Arizona House members took a lead role Tuesday in a failed, last-ditch effort to use a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security to block President Barack Obama's executive orders shielding undocumented immigrants from deportation.
The House voted 257-167 to give final approval for funding DHS through the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, but without provisions that would have barred federal funds for the president's actions.
The vote ends for now a confrontation between congressional Republicans and the White House over what the GOP believes is the unconstitutional usurpation of congressional power by the president.
But it continued to stoke a dispute between the most conservative members of the GOP House caucus and Republican Speaker John Boehner, who had to rely on Democrats to pass the bill because only 75 Republicans voted in favor of the legislation.
"It's a real sad day for the institution of Congress itself," said Rep. Matt Salmon. "If we aren't going to fight now, when are we are going to fight back?"
Salmon was joined by Republican Reps. Paul Gosar, David Schweikert and Trent Franks in voting 'no'. Rep. Martha McSally was the only GOP member of the delegation to vote for the legislation.
Democratic Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva, Ruben Gallego, Ann Kirkpatrick and Kyrsten Sinema voted for the measure.
Obama's executive orders would protect about 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to work in the U.S. In addition, the administration wants to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. It gives temporary legal status and work permits to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
A federal judge in Texas issued a temporary restraining order two weeks ago blocking the administration's actions.
Salmon, Gosar and Schweikert were among the small number of members who spoke during the one-hour debate before the final vote. Most were conservative Republicans angry at the GOP leadership in the House and Senate for backing down from the president.
Schweikert said Democrats may be pleased now, but questioned how they would feel if a Republican president were to act the same way.
"This should break everyone's heart in this body," Schweikert said.
Gosar asked plaintively, "When are we going to stand up for the rule of law?"
Funding for DHS almost ran out last week until a seven-day extension was passed Friday night, two hours before the deadline. If funding for DHS had expired this Friday, about 80 percent of the agency's 240,000 employees would have stayed on the job because their functions "" including border and airport security "" are considered critical. But none of the employees would have been paid.
Arizona has about 9,200 DHS employees, according to September 2014 figures from the Office of Personnel Management. Of those, about 6,600 work for Customs and Border Protection.
Salmon is a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans formed in January.
He said in an interview before the vote that his frustration goes beyond Boehner.
"Actually my frustration is pretty much all over the map," Salmon said. "I am frustrated with Boehner. I am much more frustrated with the president who knows better. I'm frustrated with a new majority leader in the Senate (Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.), who doesn't seem to have the tenacity or the strength to be able to stand up and do what's right."
Salmon said he doesn't expect there will be an attempt to unseat Boehner "" at least not yet.
"I think that if our leaders in both the House and the Senate continue to cave, then I think there will be a big hue and cry in this country for change all across the board."
Source: Bill Theobald, The Arizona Republic