Trump Blames Rep. Roy for Getting in Way of Spending Bill

Among the 38 Republicans who voted against a revised federal spending bill Thursday that would have averted a government shutdown was conservative Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who was a target of President-elect Donald Trump's wrath heading into the vote.

The measure was defeated by a 235-174 vote, with one member voting "present." Lawmakers now face a midnight Friday deadline to reach a deal on federal spending, or a shutdown of many government services will begin. The new plan engineered by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and heralded by Trump was voted on after the initial proposal that Johnson unveiled Tuesday received widespread criticism from Republicans, including Trump.

That plan called for extending government spending at current levels until March and added other provisions such as relief for disaster victims and farmers and a pay raise for members of Congress. The new plan would have tied an extension of government funding through March to a two-year suspension of the federal debt limit, as well as a $110 billion disaster relief package that included $10 billion in aid for farmers.

"I understand a lot is flying around — but I was one of the first out publicly against the CRamnibus," Roy posted Thursday night on X after the vote. "Currently, I'm against raising the debt ceiling without major spending cuts/reform. Congress needs to feel the pain of their actions and confront reality."

According to the roll call vote, the other 37 Republicans who joined 197 Democrats in voting against the measure were: Reps. Aaron Bean, Kat Cammack, Cory Mills, and Bill Posey of Florida; Andy Biggs, Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Debbie Lesko, and David Schweikert of Arizona; Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma; Tim Burchett and Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Eric Burlison of Missouri; Michael Cloud, Wesley Hunt, Morgan Luttrell, Nathaniel Moran, Keith Self, and Beth Van Duyne of Texas; Andrew Clyde and Richard McCormick of Georgia; John Curtis and Blake Moore of Utah; Jeff Duncan, Nancy Mace, and Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Russ Fulcher of Idaho; Bob Good of Virginia; Andy Harris of Maryland; Doug Lamborn and Greg Lopez of Colorado, Thomas Massie of Kentucky; Alexander Mooney of West Virginia; Scott Perry of Pennsylvania; Matt Rosendale of Montana; Victoria Spartz of Indiana; and Thomas Tiffany of Wisconsin.

But Trump singled out Roy on Truth Social, calling the member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus "just another ambitious guy, with no talent."

"I hope some talented challengers are getting ready in the Great State of Texas to go after Chip in the Primary," Trump wrote in a post before the vote. "He won't have a chance!"

Even with the 38 Republicans on board, the spending bill still wouldn't have passed because Johnson used a process that required a two-thirds majority to approve the legislation. With only two Democrats voting for bill, Reps. Kathy Castor of Florida and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, it still would have fallen far short of the two-thirds majority.