Democrats Yank Appropriations Mark Up to Avoid Tough Votes on Immigration, Spending

Apr 12, 2011
Press Release

Democrats Yank Appropriations Mark Up to Avoid Tough Votes on Immigration, Spending
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee today abruptly cancelled a committee mark-up of the Homeland Security and Agriculture Appropriations bills a mere ten minutes before the scheduled start.
 
The Committee was set to vote on several important and presumably contentious amendments in the mark-up, including an amendment to prevent the federal government from prosecuting a lawsuit against the recently passed Arizona immigration law, and several amendments to cut spending in both the Homeland and Agriculture bills.
 
House Appropriations Committee Ranking Republican Jerry Lewis made the following statement on the cancellation of the mark-up:
 
“Our constituents sent us here to lead, to take the tough votes and to represent their interests. They did not send us here to duck and run every time a tough vote rolls around.  Spending, immigration, and border enforcement are critical issues that must be addressed now, and should not be swept under the carpet until Democrat leaders find a more politically convenient opportunity.
 
It is clear that a lack of political courage by our Democrat leaders is threatening to grind the work of the Appropriations Committee to yet another halt.  If today’s cancellation of this mark up is any indication of the ability of the Democrat majority to truly lead, it will not be hard to understand why the American people will want a change come this November.”

112th Congress