Many Democrats voted against the measure to protest conservative provisions that would have restricted gay and transgender rights.
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That amendment offered by Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, a New York Democrat, was approved on a 223-195 vote.
Indiana GOP Reps. Todd Rokita and Larry Bucshon voted for the energy spending bill and against the Maloney amendment, although they voted previous year to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating in hiring and employment.
“We’ll put Humpty Dumpty back together”, he said.
The Democrats cheered the Maloney amendment’s passage, but no Republicans could be heard yelling, “Shame!” at their colleagues who switched their votes.
“The question [Republicans] have to ask is if they want to align themselves with [GOP nominee Donald] Trump and the states who want to go backwards”, Maloney said in an interview.
“With the Pittenger Amendment and the Byrne Amendment, Republicans overwhelmingly voted to support HB 2, the hateful and discriminatory state law in North Carolina, and to enable anti-LGBT bigotry across our country”, she said. That sent the chamber into chaos, with Democrats shouting, “Shame!”
Ultimately, the spending bill failed 305 to 112. “The fact that the author of the amendments that prevailed then turned around and voted against the bill containing his amendment tells us they’re trying to stop the appropriations process in its tracks”.
Maloney told reporters that a Republican told him on the House floor that in a Thursday morning GOP meeting to discuss the upcoming vote on the spending bill, one House Republican cited the Bible and warned fellow GOP members who backed it were “going to hell”. The same amendment about discrimination by federal contractors had failed when offered to another spending bill a week ago; GOP leaders warned at the time that its approval would have sunk that measure, which would fund veterans programs and military base construction.
Franks said he believed Republicans could work on some sort of compromise plan to address concerns about discrimination broadly and still approve spending bills.
“Democrats were not looking to advance an issue, but to sabotage the appropriations process”, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said after the vote. “It’s about shipwrecking the appropriations process”, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) said after Thursday’s vote.
Conservatives applauded the GOP decision to sink the bill, saying it violates religious liberty.
“A lot of members were clearly uncomfortable and upset”, the aide said.
The tension between LGBT activists and religious freedom supporters reached a boiling point again this week, with an Alabama congressman right in the middle of it all.
Democrats said they opposed two Republican amendments. Last year, the House’s effort to pass individual spending bills was scuttled by an amendment that would have barred funding to display the Confederate battle flag in certain situations.
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According to Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY), Republicans are now considering a process that would prevent House members of either party from offering unlimited amendments on future spending bills. “It’s wrong that some House Republicans are willing to obstruct the appropriations process…just to allow discrimination against LGBT people”.
