House Committee Defeats Rep. Culberson's Amendment that Would Prohibit Funding for Lawsuit Against Arizona
Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) offered an amendment on Tuesday to the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee's markup of a spending bill that would fund the Department of Justice in fiscal year 2011, but the amendment was defeated 8-to-5 on a mostly party-line vote. Rep. Culberson's amendment would prohibit money from the bill from funding a lawsuit against Arizona's immigration enforcement law.
The amendment stated...
None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used to participate in any lawsuit that seeks to invalidate those provisions of the Arizona Revised Statutes amended by Arizona Senate Bill 1070. . .
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) was the lone Democrat to cross party lines and vote for the amendment. Subcommittee Ranking Member Wolf (R-Va.), Rep. Culberson (R-Texas), Rep. Aderholt (R-Ala.), and Rep. Bonner (R-Ala.) also voted in favor of the amendment.
Opposing the amendment were Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mollohan (D-W.Va.), Rep. Kennedy (D-R.I.), Rep. Fattah (D-Pa.), Rep. Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep. Honda (D-Calif.), Rep. Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Rep. Serrano (D-N.Y.), and Chairman Obey (D-Wis.).
For more information, see the Minorty House Appropriations Committee's website.