Chip Roy urges GOP colleagues to refuse to fund much of federal government unless border crisis is addressed

Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas is calling for House GOP colleagues to band together and refuse to fund much of the federal government until action is taken to address the nation's border crisis.

"I am obliged to inform you of my duty to refuse to fund – or otherwise empower – the United States Government, or any foreign government it is supporting, unless and until it fulfills its constitutional obligation to defend our borders from invasion, as required in our republican form of government, and make the people of Texas whole for its breach of duty," he declared in the letter. He wrote that "we must make funding for federal government operations contingent on the President signing H.R.2, or its functional equivalent, into law and stopping the flow across our border (with demonstrable near-zero results)."

Roy suggested approving funding in some key areas, such as for Border Patrol agents, while starving much of the money-hungry federal leviathan in a leverage play to force action on the border issue.

"To be certain, use of our constitutional authority to withhold funds to force adherence to the law comes with cries of 'government shutdown' and concerns we will fail to sustain key priorities such as funding for troops and Border Patrol agents themselves," Roy noted. "These claims can be dismissed if we pass legislation to fund those very basic responsibilities – including ensuring Border Patrol agents receive full salary, benefits, and overtime pay – while withholding funding for the vast majority of the federal government until it performs its basic duty to defend the borders of a supposedly sovereign nation."

"The threat to citizens we represent and the Republic we take an oath to defend is real – marked notably by the release of dangerous terrorists and criminals into our communities. All members of Congress should be on notice: they own it if they fund it. We must finally use our Article One constitutional authority to force the (Article Two) President to end his abuse of power that endangers Americans with open borders," Roy declared.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who retweeted Roy's letter, is apparently of the same mind.

"I will not vote to fund the government until our border is secure. Please share and like if you agree. And then ask your senators and representatives to make the same commitment," Lee tweeted.

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