Freshman Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) is fighting for border security—he’s also annoying fellow legislators by calling for recorded votes.
The conservative congressman posted a video on Wednesday explaining his reasons for “objecting to unanimous consent requests and demanding that we have votes, yeas and nays, on every single amendment that’s being offered to the current appropriations bill.” He believes that Congress should actually cast votes on issues and that the border crisis needs to be solved immediately.
While @BPUnion / @CBP is being overrun due to cartel exploitation of our asylum laws, migrants continue to be abused, gangs stretch into our communities, & Texas towns take the brunt... Swamp creatures are upset about being forced to vote! #DoWhatWeSaid #EndBorderCrisisNow pic.twitter.com/RfMu9om67a
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 13, 2019
Rep. Roy berated Congress during a floor speech on Wednesday:
I cannot believe…that we cannot come together in a bipartisan fashion, to fund the necessary beds, to fund what is necessary to house these children. When people talk about kids in cages, are you directly attacking border patrol? Have you spent time with border patrol who are trying to figure out whether a kid’s dad is actually the dad or whether it’s somebody who’s using that child? That’s happening today, while this body waxes on about whatever amendment we’re throwing on the floor right now that’s already part of administrative policy, we’re not actually addressing the problem. And the American people sent us here to do that.
While the Texas congressman irritated colleagues by making them record votes, he did have some allies in the chamber, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who highlighted some swampy grumblings that he heard and said that he was willing to stay late into the evening for the cause:
.@chiproytx is catching hell from colleagues right now for requesting recorded votes on amendments and forcing transparency. Heard on the floor:
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 13, 2019
“Just exactly what do you think this will accomplish?”
“Are we getting paid overtime?”
“I’m missing my fundraiser for this.”#swamp https://t.co/Uc4TbO0MBD
I’d rather Congress debate in broad daylight but if Congress is legislating amendments to an omnibus spending bill at 2:00am, there should be recorded votes on those amendments.@RepChipRoy @RepRalphNorman @RepScottPerry @RepAndyHarrisMD
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 13, 2019
and I are here holding down the fort. https://t.co/f3fsAm5gMh
Apparently, Wednesday was also Congressman Roy’s anniversary because he tweeted to his wife about the fact he had to spend his time in Congress instead of with his family:
Yesterday was my 15th Anniversary, and I had to cancel time with family. #DoWhatWeSaid https://t.co/eU2DKs6zkj
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 14, 2019
In a Wednesday press release, Rep. Roy called for action to solve the problem of America’s porous southern border:
Today, we are forcing action to address the humanitarian crisis on our southern border. The truth to anyone being honest is there is a problem. It is far past time this body addressed it. We should act immediately in the following ways: fund President Trump’s $4.5 billion-dollar emergency supplemental request; end Catch & Release; ensure that parents and children are kept together in custody while their cases are pending; close all loopholes in our broken asylum system; and ensure unaccompanied alien minors are quickly and safely returned home.
If we have to stay up all night to finally get serious about the border and addressing the crisis, we should. #EndBorderCrisisNow
— Rep. Chip Roy (@RepChipRoy) June 12, 2019
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