The Tea Party-aligned Senate Conservatives Fund hit back Tuesday at the establishment Republican-aligned American Action Network, which had attacked three conservative Republicans for opposing a deal that funded the Department of Homeland Security without rolling back President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) is pushing back at the $400,000 ad campaign launched by the American Action Network, hitting Reps. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), John Jordan (R-OH), and Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) for opposing a deal to fund DHS that doesn’t roll back Obama’s immigration orders.
“This is a direct attack on three constitutional conservatives by the Republican establishment to punish them for opposing House leadership,” SCF President Ken Cuccinelli said in a statement. “These congressmen are fighting to stop the president’s lawlessness and secure our nation’s borders to protect us from future terrorist attacks. They’re trying to keep the promises that the House leadership made last year, but have once again abandoned.”
A day earlier the establishment-aligned American Action Network released ads arguing the three congressmen “are willing to put our security at risk by jeopardizing critical security funding.”
“That’s the wrong message to send to our enemies,” a voiceover in one of the ads says.
The bickering between the two organizations illustrates the rift among Republicans over DHS funding.
On Tuesday House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) finally gave up on trying to win over Republicans in his chamber like the three targeted by the AAN and told Republicans in his chamber that he would allow a vote on a “clean” DHS funding bill lacking provisions fighting Obama’s immigration actions. That move basically stops Republicans from using the threat of a DHS shutdown to fight Obama’s actions on immigration. Boehner actually promised to fight those actions “tooth and nail” in 2014.
The Senate Conservatives Fund is one of the more aggressive outside groups that support hard-right elected officials. Despite its name, the organization has repeatedly dipped its toes into the House of Representatives.
See the American Action Network ad below:
