Republicans who supported $1.2T spending bill accused of enabling Democrat immigration policies

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, argued that the 101 House Republicans who voted in favor of the massive $1.2 trillion spending bill that passed on Friday supported legislation that contradicts their own policy positions on issues like illegal immigration.

The final vote was 286-134 with 185 Democrats and 101 Republicans voting in favor of the measure in the House.

"DHS funding contingent on signing H.R. 2 into law, that's what we did last year to make sure our border would be secure; that is punted, so you own it," Roy said Friday on the House floor.

"Defunding Alejandro Mayorkas, we did that in our bill, this punts that, it's no longer there, you own it. Prohibiting the mass parole and release of illegal aliens via the CBP one app. We did that in our bill last year. This bill gets rid of it, you own it. You own the continued mass parole of illegal aliens into our country. You own that. That's the truth," he added.

Roy referred to college student Laken Riley's murder to support his position. "It was masked parole that led to a Venezuelan gang member coming into the United States and killing Laken Riley," he said.

"My Republican colleagues cannot go campaign against mass parole and use the name of Laken Riley because you passed a bill in her name when you fund the very policies that led to her death."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the increased amount of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beds in detention centers was a win for Republicans, but Roy described the situation differently because the U.S. Border Patrol will continue to process more migrants and release them into U.S. communities under the Biden administration's border policies. 

"The increased number of beds for ICE will not be used because there's memos in place by Alejandro Mayorkas, whom we impeached and whom this bill will fund, those ICE beds will not be filled. They won't be used and we know it," he said. "We set out to prohibit DHS from fast tracking asylum. This bill doesn't do that."

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, also said the extra beds would likely be empty.

"Those beds are going to go empty. Why? Because you're going to ship these people out as soon as they get here. That's what's happening within 24 hours," he said on the House floor. So the crimes, the fentanyl deaths, the terrorist initiatives that are coming our way. You vote for this. You're funding it. You own it."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called for Democrats to support passage of the legislation to "defend the gorgeous mosaic of the American people." In response, Roy questioned what Jeffries was referring to with his "mosaic" comment.

"I assume, by the mosaic, that anyone who votes for this bill today will be supporting that we're talking about $156,000 for the Hartford gay and lesbian health collective, an organization self-described as champions of LGBTQIA equity and provides training and cultural competency and access to health care for LGBTQ youth," he said.

"Or $2 million for an Oregon clinic that provides hormone therapy for kids; or the $850,000 for gay senior housing in Massachusetts, or $400,000 for the Briarpatch Youth Services in Wisconsin that has a gender affirming clothing program for kids 13 to 18, or $400,000 to the Garden State of Quality Education Fund, which helps minors transition genders, promote biological boys playing girls sports, and using the same restrooms. I could go on and on."

Roy continued, saying, "How about the million dollars for the Inner City Muslim Network, which calls for the destruction of Israel? That's what we're funding. That's precisely what we're funding in this legislation."

Roy lamented the $200 million in the bill for the new FBI headquarters, despite Republican criticism of the agency's handling of issues like the Russia collision probe, the Christopher Steele dossier against former President Trump and the raid of Mar-a-Lago.

"The FBI is getting a brand new shiny headquarters, despite running roughshod over the American people, spying on them," he said. "And by the way, we extended FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] to continue spying on the American people."

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., described the bill as "insanity" due to wasteful spending inside the text.

"Are you agreeing to $500 million for Jordan, including $150 million for border security in Jordan? Are you agreeing to $125 million to help Egyptians attend college in Egypt? Is this where you want your money?" Norman said in a speech on the House floor on Friday.

Norman wanted the House to vote the bill down and shut the lights off in the chamber despite the Friday expiration of government funding.

"Vote this bill down, take that mace down which has to be in place, i's been in place for 182 years to have session in the House of Representatives," he said. "Cut the lights off and until the Senate accepts a total shutdown of the border, until they accept a total H.R. 2, we don't come back. Why fund the government that's working against us? It is total insanity."