Henry Cuellar, 3 Democrats Vote With GOP to Pass DHS Funding Bill
Four House Democrats broke with their party this week and voted with Republicans to approve a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, splitting Democrats during an ongoing government shutdown fight.
The vote passed 221–207 in the House, with most Democrats opposing the bill over concerns it does not include new restrictions on federal immigration enforcement or oversight of ICE operations.
According to reporting on the vote, the Democrats who sided with Republicans were Henry Cuellar of Texas, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Jared Golden of Maine, and Don Davis of North Carolina.
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The bill would fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year and restore funding for agencies including TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and cybersecurity programs.
Democratic leadership had urged members to vote no, arguing the legislation failed to address demands for reforms after several controversial immigration enforcement incidents earlier this year.
Republicans, meanwhile, argued the shutdown threatens national security and disrupts key homeland security operations.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where similar proposals have struggled to reach the 60 votes needed to advance.
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