House Freedom Caucus Chair: We’d Back Funding Bill Without Wall Funding

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), the leader of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, said in an interview published Tuesday that most of his group would support a short-term spending bill to keep the government funded even if it lacked funding for President Donald Trump’s proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I don’t want to talk for the entire Freedom Caucus, we haven’t taken a formal position on that, but generally speaking, in talking to a number of my members, if there was a vote for a continuing resolution next week that did not include border wall funding, the majority of those members would be supportive of that,” Meadows said on ABC News’ “Powerhouse Politics” podcast.

Trump last week signaled that he would be willing to risk shutting the government down to push Congress to pass funding for his proposed border wall.

Meadows said “most of the conservatives” he talked to “are willing to do and vote for a continuing resolution that just basically would not have wall funding in it.”

“I don’t know that anybody’s advocating for a government shutdown,” Meadows said. “Obviously I’m very aware of the priorities that the President’s put forth in terms of the border security and the wall, and I certainly support that.”