Free Republic

A growing number of House Republicans are accusing their conservative colleagues of enabling Democratic wins, especially after this weekend's foreign aid votes. Why it matters: Multiple members believe they could have gotten concessions from Democrats on border policy in exchange for Ukraine funding, only to be blown up by backlash from conservatives. GOP leadership brought up border security provisions alongside their foreign aid package — but the package was blocked by Republicans from reaching the House floor under normal rules. It ultimately failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the House under suspension of the rules. Zoom in:...

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is rushing through a tax bill unveiled days ago over significant policy objections from both conservative and centrist factions of the Republican Party. Conservatives have spoken out against provisions in the bill they see as handouts to illegal immigrants, particularly an expansion of the Child Tax Credit without language requiring the parent to have a Social Security number. They argue the expansion would serve as an additional powerful migration pull, even as migrant encounters at the border reach record highs under President Joe Biden. snip Johnson indicated Wednesday morning he would move the bill later in...

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has made clear where House Republicans will draw the line on any agreement dealing with the border: allowing illegal crossings. “Any border ‘shutdown’ authority that ALLOWS even one illegal crossing is a non-starter. Thousands each day is outrageous. The number must be ZERO,” Mr. Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Jan. 29. The deal, whose text is set to be released this week, reportedly would permit the president to close ports of entry if illegal crossings reach a certain threshold. One of the negotiators, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), announced on Jan. 28 that a proposal...

When Obamacare passed Congress in 2010, 39 so called ‘Blue Dog’ House Democrats voted against the bill. Only 13 of which survived re-election in the 2010 Mid-Terms. When the 112th Congress voted on repealing Obamacare (HR.2), only Rep. Dan Boren (OK-2), Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC-7), and Rep. Mike Ross (AR-4) voted to repeal. The remaining 10 instead voted instead to keep Obamacare intact.

The House of Representatives has passed an expanded version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and made it easier for illegal aliens to access the program's benefits. HR 2, the new version of SCHIP, weakens verification requirements. Those who enroll will be required to show only an easily forged Social Security card -- not secure documents proving U.S. citizenship. The legislation also extends benefits to non-citizen children of legal immigrants. The SCHIP bill is designed to provide health coverage to low-income children, a laudable