WASHINGTON — Conservatives are claiming victory over the delay of a House Republican border security bill that was set to go for a vote this week, only to be pulled from the calendar on Monday.
The bill was taken off the calendar after snowstorms delayed the start of the House’s workweek, but conservative lawmakers aren’t buying that the weather was the culprit.
“I think the weather was a convenient excuse,” Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), who opposes the bill, told HuffPost after a House Republican conference meeting on Tuesday morning.
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Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a Boehner ally, told reporters Tuesday that he thinks opposition is partially based on a misunderstanding over what is within the Homeland Security Committee’s jurisdiction.
“I don’t think this is going to be that difficult to pass,” he said. “I think once you put it on the floor, people are not likely to vote against a border security bill.”
Jennifer Bendery contributed reporting.
