Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins vehemently opposed the bill in a speech in the House on Friday, but shortly after his speech pointed out that his bill is included in a $1.7 trillion spending package. it was done.
A video of the moment shared to Twitter by user @Acyn had more than 210,000 views as of early Saturday.
Andrew Harnick/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
At the end of his speech, Higgins said:
Next, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) was recognized as Speaker, and as he began to speak, a man who could not be seen on the CSPAN stream was heard saying: . ..”
McGovern told the House of Representatives, “I think I should tell the gentleman I just spoke to that his veterans bill is actually said to be on the omnibus. He has the bill on this omnibus.” rice field.
The Democrats then asked if any other members of the Republican side wanted to speak, and when McGovern was told he didn’t, McGovern replied, “Thank God,” causing laughter on the floor.
Higgins was a strong opponent of the appropriations bill and ultimately voted against it, passing the House by a vote of 225 to 201, with one member present.
“Then witness the demise of a once-great nation. Witness the arrogance of a suit-clad thief out of wealth and comfort while using generations of unborn American treasure.” Please, they are in a position to successfully manage the decline of our country,” Higgins said Friday.
“But you witness, the American people have had enough. We the people are struggling. From the sea to the shining sea, Americans can’t pay for food and fuel. They are cold and hungry and feel betrayed by this body, and I hope you understand that emotion and passion because I share it,” the Republican said before closing his remarks. said to
In a statement to Newsweek Higgins’ office said on Saturday: Omnibus as a whole. ”
They also pointed to statements made by members of the House of Representatives following the House vote.
“Congress is destroying America with crippling debt. Current spending levels are unsustainable and this last-minute $1.7 trillion total spending bill is the product of a horribly broken budget process,” Higgins said. said. “We must restore fiscal responsibility and return normalcy to the spending process. As we fight to restore fiscal health, I will continue to stand by our core principles.”
The comprehensive appropriations bill passed the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 68-29 and was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Friday. There were concerns that Congress would not be able to agree on an spending package by Friday’s deadline, and a lack of agreement would not trigger a partial government shutdown for the holidays.
Update 12/24/22 10.07am: This article has been updated to include a statement from Clay Higgins’ office.