U.S. Rep. Chip Roy says voters want him to shut down the government over border legislation

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy is once again threatening to shut down the federal government if Congress can't pass tougher border restrictions. And this time, the Austin-San Antonio Republican is claiming his constituents actually want him to force the closure.

“I mean, I don’t want to — I’m not trying to rattle about shutdown for the sake of it. But the people I represent they’re like, 'Good Lord, shut down the border or shut down the government until you wake up President Biden and Mayorkas to do their job,'” the Austin-San Antonio Republican said during a Monday Fox News appearance.

Roy, a firebrand known for tantrum politics, has been threatening to force a government shutdown over the border since last January. Ahead of last year's Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government funded, he hinted that he'd be willing to sink the process if Congress didn't resurrect former President Donald Trump's border wall.

“If somebody’s getting all squeamish about the border wall, I mean, frankly, my response is: 'Kiss my ass,'" Roy said at the time.



In the wake of Roy's recent threats, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, tried to assure voters during a weekend TV appearance that GOP lawmakers weren't looking to close down the government, according to The Hill.

Even so, Roy circulated a  “Dear Colleague” letter last week urging others in Congress to stand in the way of funding bills to force tough immigration restrictions, The Hill also reports.

In the letter, the congressman said lawmakers “must make funding for federal government operations contingent" on the president signing a hardline immigration bill passed by the Republican-controlled House with no Democratic support.

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