Republican Hardliners Lost a Lot of Amendment Votes. But They Still Won Some Dangerous Ones.

As Republicans in the House rush to pass the appropriations bills that they have failed to pass, largely due to the demands of their nihlistic hardliners, and pretend that they aren’t rooting for a government shutdown, they have been taking a LOT of votes, as is the case with appropriations bills.

Most of the amendments from the Republican hardliners — amendments attacking climate policy, the LGBTQ community, racial equity/DEI, cybersecurity, international assistance, and more — failed, but a few did manage to succeed. Here’s a rundown of most of them.

Right-Wing Amendments to the Defense Appropriations Bill that FAILED:

• Chip Roy (TX-21)’s amendment to ban the use of funds to observe Pride Month in the military failed 202 to 231, with 18 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Matt Gaetz (FL-01)’s amendment to prohibit security assistance for Ukraine failed 93 to 339, with 126 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Andy Biggs (AZ-05)’s amendment to decrease funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative by $300 million failed 104 to 330, with 117 Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.
• Andrew Clyde (GA-09)’s amendment to prevent the use of funds for the commission tasked with renaming items honoring the Confederacy failed 172 to 261, with 48 Republicans joining Democrats to vote against it.
• Lauren Boebert (CO-03)’s amendment to defund the position of Norvel Dillard, Director of Diversity and Inclusion Management at the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of the Department of Defense, failed 184 to 248, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats to vote against it.
• Lauren Boebert’s amendment to defund the position of Shawn Skelly, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, failed 150 to 282, with 70 Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.

Right-Wing Amendments to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill that PASSED:

• Mary Miller (IL-15)’s amendment to defund the implementation of the Climate Corps passed 217 to 216, with only 3 Republicans — Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Tom Kean (NJ-07) — voting no.
• Pete Stauber (MN-08)’s amendment to prohibit funds from going to the Farm to School Network Racial Equity Learning Lab passed 217 to 216, with only 3 Republicans — Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Mike Lawler (NY-17), and Nancy Mace (SC-01) — voting no.
• Lauren Boebert (CO-03)’s amendment to ban the USDA from using funds for courses, books and study guides that promote inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace narrowly passed 217 to 214, with only 1 Republican — Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) — voting no.

Right-Wing Amendments to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill that FAILED:

• Matt Rosendale (MT-02)’s amendment to reduce the bill’s appropriations by $717 million failed 71 to 362, with 149 Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.
• Harriet Hageman’s amendment prohibiting the use of funds to mandate electronic identification eartags for cattle and bison failed 97 to 336. 95 Republicans and 2 Democrats — Gregorio Casar (TX-35) and Chellie Pingree (MN-01) — voted for it, and 125 Democrats and 211 Republicans voted against it.
• Lauren Boebert (CO-03)’s amendment to prohibits funds from being used for the USDA’s Equity Commission failed 210 to 216, with 6 Republicans — Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Darrell Issa (CA-48), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Aumua Radewagen (American Samoa), and Joe Wilson (SC-02) — joining Democrats to vote against it.

Bob Good (VA-05) led several failed amendments pushes to defund various positions:

• Director of the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology: Failed 158 to 272
• Director of the Division of Risk Management: Failed 159 to 272
• Director of the Office of New Drugs: Failed 156 to 273
• Director of the Office of Compliance: Failed 161 to 270
• Director of the Office of Medical Policy: Failed 160 to 271
• Director of the Office of Regulatory Policy: Failed 163 to 267
• Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research: Failed 152 to 278

Right-Wing Amendments to the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that FAILED

• Troy Nehls (TX-22)’s amendment to prohibit funds from being used for the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department of Homeland Security It failed 182 to 247, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.
• Andrew Clyde (GA-09)’s amendment to reduce funding for CISA (cybersecurity) by 25% failed 108 to 320, with 109 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no. (Why are Republicans targeting CISA? Because it’s been working to combat misinformation.)

Republican efforts to defund the following positions also failed:

• Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL): Failed 161 to 268, with 56 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• Claire Trickler-McNulty, Assistant Director for ICE Office of Program Evaluation: Failed 161 to 267, with 55 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• Kenneth L Wainstein, Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis: Failed 159 to 269, with 57 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• DHS Director of Departmental GAO-OIG Liaison Office Jim Crumpacker: Failed 162 to 264, with 53 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• DHS Assistant Secretary for Counter Terrorism and Threat Prevention Samantha Vinograd: Failed 164 to 265, with 53 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• DHS Under Secretary for the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Robert Silvers: Failed 168 to 261, with 50 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• CISA Director of Election Security Initiative Geoffrey Hale: Failed 160 to 270, with 58 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• CISA Director Jen Easterly: Failed 147 to 282, with 70 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no
• Kristie Canegallo, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security: Failed 169 to 261, with 49 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Kimberly O’Connor, Executive Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security: Failed 165 to 263, with 51 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Blas Nuñez-Neto, Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy: Failed 170 to 260, with 48 Republicans voting joining Democrats in voting no.

If you are wondering why Republicans are targeting DHS — an agency that progressives would rightly say should not even exist and which Republicans have loved for years — it’s because they are mad about immigrants.

Right-Wing Amendments to the State & Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that FAILED:

• Eliminating funding to the United States Institute of Peace: Failed 134 to 298, with 86 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Eliminating funding to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Salaries and Expenses: Failed 78 to 353, with 141 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no. One Republican — Victoria Spartz (IN-05) — voted present.
• Reducing funding by 50% for USAID: Failed 102 to 326, with 114 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Reducing funds apportioned to USAID by $4.5 billion: Failed 115 to 312, with 104 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Fully Defunding International Disaster Assistance: Failed 86 to 346, with 134 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Reducing Economic Support Fund funding to the FY18 enacted level: Failed 133 to 297, with 86 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Fully Defunding Migration and Refugee Assistance funding: Failed 121 to 311, with 99 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Cutting $14.3 million from the Peace Corps budget: Failed 135 to 295, with 83 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Cutting $10 million from the Global Environment Facility Fund: Failed 199 to 231, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting assistance to Ukraine: Failed 90 to 342, with 130 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting funds from being used by the Secretary of State to initiate a drawdown and delivery of defense articles and services from Department of Defense stocks to Ukraine: Failed 92 to 340, with 128 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Defunding the position of UN Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield: Failed 151 to 278, with 66 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Defunds the position of Director of Policy Planning Staff Salman Ahmed: Failed 166 to 265, with 53 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Defunds the position of Department’s Acting Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Constance Mayor: Failed 187 to 241, with 30 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Defunding the position of Palestinian affairs officer George Noll: Failed 191 to 238, with 26 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting taxpayer dollars from funding the International Organization for Migration’s “Refugee Travel Loan Program”: Failed 198 to 232, with 20 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting funding for United Nations entities unless specifically appropriated in the underlying bill: Failed 188 to 242, with 30 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting funds from being made available for the State Department’s Office of Global Change: Failed 213 to 219, with 7 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Defunding the position of Victoria Nuland, Acting United States Deputy Secretary of State and Under Secretary for Political Affairs: Failed 161 to 268, with 57 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no.
• Blocking funding for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): Failed 198 to 232, with 22 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no but Jared Golden (ME-02) joining Republicans in voting yes.
• Preventing any funds from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency: Failed 213 to 218, with 8 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no but Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) and Jared Moskowitz joining Republicans in voting yes.
• Reducing foreign assistance to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador based on the number of unaccompanied individual children who entered the U.S. from those countries: Failed 187 to 244, with 33 Republicans joining Democrats in voting no and Norma Torres (CA-35) joining Republicans in voting yes.

Right-Wing Amendments to the State & Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that PASSED*

• Prohibiting funds from being used for the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate: Passed 217 to 212, with Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and David Valadao (CA-22) joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting funds made available by the bill from being used to implement the Paris Agreement: Passed 219 to 213, with only Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) joining Democrats in voting no.
• Prohibiting funding from being used to send employees to any event or conference hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative: Passed 218 to 215, with only 3 Republicans — French Hill (AR-02), Michael Turner (OH-10), and Steve Womack (AR-03)voting no.
• Blocking the use of funds to implement President Biden’s climate change Executive orders: Passed 216 to 213, with Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Nancy Mace (SC-01) joining Democrats in voting no.

*I’ll write about a few others separately.