Arizona Delegation Split On Omnibus Vote, Grijalva “Nay,” McSally “Yea”

The Arizona Congressional delegation split on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, also known as the omnibus spending bill; most notably Rep. Martha McSally voted in favor, and Raul Grijalva voted against the massive spending bill.

The bill passed 316 – 133, with 5 not voting.

The bill would fund many federal government programs, and provide funding for special interest groups including Planned Parenthood for the remainder of fiscal year 2016 (through September 30, 2016).

Prior to the vote Rep. Matt Salmon and Rep. Paul Gosar issued scathing indictments of the bill.

Salmon stated today, “As I said yesterday, the omnibus that the House was presented for a vote today was a win for big government and backroom deals, not the American people. Today’s bill, a 2,000-page monstrosity that spends over a trillion dollars, was forced on the American people after House leadership held meetings to give President Obama his Christmas wish list.”

“Sadly, too many of my colleagues supported this bill and it will ultimately become just the latest bill to put political expediency ahead of America’s clear and present fiscal crisisAmerica needs better,” continued Salmon, “and I sincerely hope this is the last time we see the convoluted, backroom dealings that created the menace of this omnibus spending bill.”

Congressman Paul Gosar stated yesterday, “Once again I find myself infuriated about out-of-control, wasteful spending and a lack of leadership in Washington D.C. No member can actually read 2,242 pages of text and over 1,000 pages of explanatory material in 54 hours. I am not Nancy Pelosi and I will not vote to pass a bill just to find out later what it contains. Such actions are irresponsible and silly. I wish that I could put all the blame for this flawed bill on big spending Democrats who are ignorant of the fiscal crisis within which we live, but I can’t. Congress is controlled by Republicans. Yet, somehow this is the worst omnibus ‘deal’ for Republicans since I’ve been here.”

McSally said late today, “While far from perfect, today’s bipartisan funding legislation benefits Southern Arizona in many ways.”

National security, which was used as an excuse by McSally and others to support the measure, was not a priority in the end for its supporters. As Salmon revealed, “The concern on everyone’s mind today – the security of our homeland against infiltration by radical Islamic terrorists – was not so much as even contemplated in this bill. In fact, the amendments proposed by members of the House Freedom Caucus to this bill were casually shut down by the Rules Committee last night. This unwise choice clearly announces that House leadership doesn’t think the integrity of our nation is worth addressing before we adjourn for the year.”

“The $1.8 trillion “Christmas gift” the President, senators and representatives gave themselves, their special interest groups and crony friends this week demonstrate once again they are out of touch with the American people,” stated A.J. LaFaro a Republican leader in Arizona. “Grassroots conservatives knew Paul Ryan was a RINO as bad, or worse, than John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy. This week’s $1.8 trillion deal Ryan helped orchestrate clearly demonstrates Ryan needs to go and a real conservative needs to primary him in 2016.”

“The “How to Bag a RINO” team needs to add Ryan to their 2016 target list,” concluded LaFaro.