Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) single-handedly stopped a $19.1 billion disaster aid package on Friday. Roy’s vote stalled legislation that would send federal funding to areas across the country devastated by natural disasters, such as victims of California wildfires, Midwestern flooding, and hurricanes that hit the Southeast and Puerto Rico. Roy said he objected to the bill because it would add to the country’s debt, and leaves out $4.4 billion in additional spending along the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite the missing border funding, the bill has the support of President Trump, and easily passed the Senate on Thursday. “This is a bill that includes nothing to address the clear national emergency and humanitarian crisis we face at our southern border,” Roy said.
The lawmaker immediately faced backlash from both sides of the aisle for his decision. Roy is a freshman congressman, but served as chief of staff to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2013 when Cruz helped force a partial government shutdown. The House will try to pass the legislation by unanimous consent again on Tuesday. When asked how he would vote, Roy responded: “We’ll see, I have not decided what I’m going to do next week.”
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