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Rep. Roy issues statement on House foreign aid package

April 20, 2024

Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement after voting on the House’s foreign aid package (H.R. 8038, H.R. 8036, H.R. 8035, and H.R. 8034): 

Today, I voted “no” on H.R. 8038, H.R. 8036, H.R. 8035, and H.R. 8034 and the rule providing for their consideration.  These bills were brought forward under a contrived process to achieve a pre-determined outcome — a $100 billion, unpaid-for foreign aid package while failing to secure the southern border. 

For months, House Republicans — specifically, Speaker Mike Johnson — have been unequivocal that we would not send billions in additional aid to Ukraine without securing our own border first.  This package represents a complete reversal of a position that previously unified the Republican conference, despite the clear and present danger the southern border represents to U.S. national security. 

Instead, House Republicans held a show-vote on H.R. 3602, a version of H.R. 2 that stripped E-Verify and added $9.5 billion in funding to support border states like Texas. While I voted for this bill, it was designed to fail under suspension of the rules as a “cover” vote because House Republicans chose not to attach it to the foreign aid package that passed the House today – and in so doing, gave cover votes to Democrats who have been blocking actual border security.

Further, despite assertions of an “open” process, the foreign aid bills were brought forward with anything but.  While individual votes were held on assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, and a package that included a bill forcing the CCP to divest from TikTok (among other items), the rule providing for their consideration packaged the bills together as an amendment to the Senate-passed foreign aid bill.  Worse still, a mere seven amendments received consideration on these bills, despite over 300 having been filed, and not a single amendment to secure the border was made in order.

As a matter of policy and principle, I strongly support providing aid to our friend and ally Israel to support them generally, and particularly in the wake of Hamas’ barbaric terror attack and Iran’s recent strike.  I was proud to pass Israel funding in November, fully paid for – and was prepared to advance an Israel-only bill now to stand with Israel.  However, the Israel aid package was paired to gain Democrat support with over $9 billion in humanitarian aid to Gaza and other areas, which will certainly and inevitably find its way into the hands of Hamas — effectively funding both sides of the war and undermining Israel.  Therefore, I was unfortunately forced to vote no on this measure, a position only reinforced when AIPAC scored the “rule” vote to proceed to the total package, despite the aforementioned aid to Hamas and the lack of border protection for America in the package.

With respect to Ukraine, I support its effort to defeat Putin but cannot support sending $60 billion in additional unpaid-for funding, much of which fails to go to lethal aid, without both a clear mission and the policy changes necessary to force the securing of our own border.  The Biden administration has still failed to outline a clear mission for U.S. involvement in Ukraine, despite having sent the country $113 billion previously, from which only $47 billion went to lethal aid, and another supplemental funding request is all but inevitable.

Finally, I support many of the bills included in H.R. 8038, the so-called “sweetener” package, including the bill to force CCP divestiture from TikTok, of which I was an original cosponsor in the House.  However, this measure was packaged with the REPO Act to seize assets to fund Ukraine, which could further implicate the U.S. in the conflict and further undermine America’s dominance of the international financial system. 

Our southern border is on fire due to the Biden administration’s willful refusal to obey the law and Americans like Laken Riley are dying as a consequence. We are adding $1 trillion to the debt every 100 days due to unbridled federal spending and inflation is still eating away at American paychecks.  In the face of that, Republicans inexplicably choose to advance a package representing more of the same uniparty legislating that got us in this situation. 

House Republicans promised to change things in Washington, and I for one will not stop until we do.  This is the beginning not the end.  We will break the back of the uniparty and return this country to the hard-working Americans being taken for granted.

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