The four House Democrats who voted against the border funding bill

Four House Democrats on Tuesday evening bucked party leadership and voted against a bill to provide $4.5 billion in emergency border funding.

The Democrats who voted against the bill were Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) 

The handful of defections come in the wake of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) meeting on Monday evening with progressive and Latino lawmakers who were hesitant to support the measure.

The Speaker urged members of her party to support the legislation earlier in the day, arguing that defecting would be a win for President Trump.

“Understand what we’re up against in the White House. The president would love for this bill to go down today,” Pelosi said during a closed-door caucus meeting Tuesday, according to a senior Democratic aide. 

“A vote against this bill is a vote for Donald Trump and his inhumane, outside-the-circle of civilized attitude toward the children.”

In a statement, Omar explained her reason for voting no.

“Throwing more money at the very organizations committing human rights abuses—and the very Administration directing these human rights abuses—is not a solution,” she said. “This is a humanitarian crisis—a humanitarian crisis inflicted by our own leadership. It’s also a refugee crisis fueled by state violence, corruption, and impunity in the Northern Triangle–one that this Administration has only fueled through mass deportation and slashing aid.

Republicans blasted Democratic leadership for bringing the bill to the floor, arguing they are playing politics during a time of crisis and should have brought legislation that passed out of committee in the Senate with strong bipartisan support up for a vote.

Three Republicans — Reps. Will Hurd (Texas), Chris Smith (N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) — joined Democrats in voting in favor of the bill.

Tags Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ayanna Pressley Brian Fitzpatrick Chris Smith Donald Trump Ilhan Omar Nancy Pelosi Will Hurd

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