Gosar, Schweikert among Arizona politicians to vote ‘no’ on spending bill
Mar 23, 2018, 10:56 AM
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Two House members from Arizona who voted no on the spending bill that President Donald Trump signed were adamant in their opposition Friday.
Trump signed the $1.3 trillion bill despite some objections. He had threatened to veto the bill in tweet, saying the budget didn’t address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or the border wall.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar had hoped the bill would be vetoed. “I don’t really care why,” he told KTAR 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.
He voted against the bill, which was sent to Trump in the early hours for signing to avert a federal shutdown at midnight.
Gosar tore apart the 2,000-pages plus bill Thursday before the vote, calling it “a piece of crap” that he and other Freedom Caucus members had urged Trump to veto in a letter this week.
Fellow Congressman David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who also voted against the spending bill legislation, cited the massive amount.
“In today’s world, if you want another dollar for defense, you must put another dollar into social entitlement spending or other categories. That’s how you get this ratcheting up effect,” he said.
Nearly two dozen other conservative Republicans opposed the funding package.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) also voted no.
Across the House aisle, Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) voted no, as well.
In the Senate, Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) voted no.