21 Republican “No”s: How the House Voted to Keep the Government Open

The need for a stopgap measure to avert a government shutdown was brought back into the limelight once again this week as Republicans and Democrats all over the country were continuing to battle over spending plans. The latest proposal, which was put forth by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, was met with opposition from 21 House Republicans who voted “no” on the stopgap funding bill. The bill, which was passed by the House on December 19th, aimed to keep the federal government open through January 18th. It proposed to fund essential areas of the government, including defense and health services, as well as providing additional funding for border security. Despite the bill passing in the house with sufficient votes, it faced opposition from the 21 House Republicans who declared their loyalties with the “no” on the register. So, who are the 21 House Republicans, and why did they vote “no” on the stopgap funding bill? The list of Republican dissenters consists of several veteran members of the government body, including some who had previously been elected under the banner of the Freedom Caucus. The notable names on the list include Representatives Steve King from Iowa, Ross Spano from Florida, Mark Green from Tennessee, Thomas Massie from Kentucky, and Dana Rohrabacher from California. Most of these members found issue with certain aspects of the bill, such as the $5 billion allotted for border security, and the additional $32 billion spend on health services. Others, like Representative King, remained staunchly conservative on the issue, insisting that the federal budget had to be balanced and that any additional spending should come out of the Department of Homeland Security’s budget rather than from taxpayers. No matter the justification, all 21 Republican representatives found it necessary to cast a “no” vote on the bill, despite the majority of the body finding it agreeable. It’s important to note, however, that while these 21 individuals voted against passage, it did not stop the bill from receiving the necessary 271 votes for it to pass the house. From here, the bill now faces another round of voting in the Senate, and if sufficient votes are received, it will become the legislation that keeps the federal government operating throughout the next month. Until then, however, the 21 House Republicans who voted “no” on the stopgap funding bill remain a key factor in the dealings that will ensure the United States government remains open. The need for a stopgap measure to avert a government shutdown was brought back into the limelight once again this week as Republicans and Democrats all over the country were continuing to battle over spending plans. The latest proposal, which was put forth by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, was met with opposition from 21 House Republicans who voted “no” on the stopgap funding bill. The bill, which was passed by the House on December 19th, aimed to keep the federal government open through January 18th. It proposed to fund essential areas of the government, including defense and health services, as well as providing additional funding for border security. Despite the bill passing in the house with sufficient votes, it faced opposition from the 21 House Republicans who declared their loyalties with the “no” on the register. So, who are the 21 House Republicans, and why did they vote “no” on the stopgap funding bill? The list of Republican dissenters consists of several veteran members of the government body, including some who had previously been elected under the banner of the Freedom Caucus. The notable names on the list include Representatives Steve King from Iowa, Ross Spano from Florida, Mark Green from Tennessee, Thomas Massie from Kentucky, and Dana Rohrabacher from California. Most of these members found issue with certain aspects of the bill, such as the $5 billion allotted for border security, and the additional $32 billion spend on health services. Others, like Representative King, remained staunchly conservative on the issue, insisting that the federal budget had to be balanced and that any additional spending should come out of the Department of Homeland Security’s budget rather than from taxpayers. No matter the justification, all 21 Republican representatives found it necessary to cast a “no” vote on the bill, despite the majority of the body finding it agreeable. It’s important to note, however, that while these 21 individuals voted against passage, it did not stop the bill from receiving the necessary 271 votes for it to pass the house. From here, the bill now faces another round of voting in the Senate, and if sufficient votes are received, it will become the legislation that keeps the federal government operating throughout the next month. Until then, however, the 21 House Republicans who voted “no” on the stopgap funding bill remain a key factor in the dealings that will ensure the United States government remains open.