News

Meadows joins GOP defectors on Homeland Security funding vote

By Bill Moss, Published: February 28, 2015

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows joined 49 conservative Republicans on Friday in a surprise vote  that blocked the Republican leadership's attempt to extend Homeland Security funding for three weeks.

The vote, 203 in favor and 224 against, put the agency's funding in jeopardy until Democrats joined Republicans late Friday night to support a one-week stopgap funding measure. Meadows also voted no on that measure, which passed 357-60.
"If you can't give three more weeks to keep doing this, it's a real problem," said Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif. "The 50 people who voted 'no' are not only reckless, they're in favor of Obama's amnesty."
The conservative Republicans who voted no on the funding measure held fast to the view that now is the time to block Obama's immigration measure.
"The tail will wag the dog," said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., according to a report in Roll Call. "Those who want to protect American jobs for American workers will vote against it, and those who want to give those American jobs to illegal aliens will vote for it, and then it will likely pass."
North Carolina's Republican congressional delegation split on the three-week funding extension, with three others joining Meadows in voting no and six voting yes. All three Democrats voted no on the longer funding extension that dealt a setback to Speaker Boehner. Here's how the delegation voted:

Republicans

Ellmers: yes
Jones: no
Foxx: yes
Walker: no
Rouzer: yes
Hudson: no
Pittenger: yes
McHenry: yes
Meadows: no
Holding: yes

Democrats

Butterfield: no
Price: no
Adams: no