Tuesday’s vote on the House Democratic effort to condemn President Donald Trump’s use of racist language ended up falling along party lines, with 240 Democrats in favor and 187 Republicans opposed.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s Sunday tirade — he told Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Illhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley to “go back” to their home countries — several Republicans mildly criticized Trump. But ultimately, with strong encouragement from Trump himself and Republican leadership, the party largely moved to oppose Tuesday’s resolution.
Four Republicans, however, refused to join their colleagues and decided to condemn their party’s President, calling Trump’s racist attacks unacceptable.
Here’s a look at the four members who crossed party lines Tuesday and why they took their stand.
Rep. Will Hurd (TX-23)
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Monday, Hurd, the sole black Republican House member, deemed Trump’s tweets “racist.”
“I think those tweets are racist, and xenophobic,” Hurd said. “They’re also inaccurate. The four women he’s referring to are actually citizens of the United States. Three of the four were born here. It’s also behavior that’s unbecoming of the leader of the free world.”
“He should be talking about things that unite, not divide us,” he added.
Rep. Susan Brooks (IN-05)
Brooks, who is retiring from Congress at the end of her term, tweeted Tuesday she voted to condemn Trump’s “racially offensive remarks” because they “do not reflect American values.” Brooks added that she remains “disappointed that the Democrats refuse to hold their own members accountable for their targeted, anti-Semitic and hateful speech.”
“We must remember our words matter and carry great weight,” she said. “Our words and the ways in which we deliver them have a lasting impact on those who hear them.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01)
Speaking with a Pennsylvania talk radio station ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Fitzpatrick said he took issue with Trump’s tone.
“I agree with a lot of what the President does from a policy standpoint, from tax reform, immigration, when it comes to border security,” he said. “What I disagree with the President on is his tone. I am a Ronald Reagan Republican and that’s the area I grew up in.”
As of May, Fitzpatrick had voted with Trump less than 70% of the time.
Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06)
Upton outlined his support for Tuesday’s resolution in a series of tweets Tuesday, stating his vote was a message “targeted at the specific words that frankly are not acceptable from a leader in any work place large or small.”
“If we’re going to bring civility back to the center of our politics, we must speak out against inflammatory rhetoric from anyone in any party anytime it happens. America embraces diversity, and that must continue,” he said.
House Republicans who voted against Tuesday’s resolution
- Rep. Ralph Abraham (LA-05)
- Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04)
- Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12)
- Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-02)
- Rep. Kelly Armstrong (ND-At-Large)
- Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19)
- Rep. Brian Babin (TX-36)
- Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02)
- Rep. Jim Baird (IN-04)
- Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12)
- Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03)
- Rep. Andy Barr (KY-06)
- Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01)
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)
- Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01)
- Rep. Michael Bost (IL-12)
- Rep. Kevin Brady (TX-08)
- Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05)
- Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-16)
- Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)
- Rep. Larry Bucshon (IN-08)
- Rep. Ted Budd (NC-13)
- Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02)
- Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42)
- Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-01)
- Rep. John Carter (TX-31)
- Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)
- Rep. Liz Cheney (WY-At-Large)
- Rep. Ben Cline (VA-06)
- Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27)
- Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04)
- Rep. Doug Collins (GA-09)
- Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27)
- Rep. James Comer (KY-01)
- Rep. Mike Conaway (TX-11)
- Rep. Paul Cook (CA-08)
- Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-01)
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02)
- Rep. John Curtis (UT-03)
- Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08)
- Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13)
- Rep. Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)
- Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
- Rep. Sean Duffy (WI-07)
- Rep. Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
- Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02)
- Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-06)
- Rep. Ron Estes (KS-04)
- Rep. Drew Ferguson (GA-03)
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03)
- Rep. Bill Flores (TX-17)
- Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01)
- Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05)
- Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-01)
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)
- Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI-08)
- Rep. Greg Gianforte (MT-At-Large)
- Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH-07)
- Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16)
- Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05)
- Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-04)
- Rep. Tom Graves (GA-14)
- Rep. Garret Graves (LA-06)
- Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06)
- Rep. Mark Green (TN-07)
- Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
- Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06)
- Rep. MIchael Guest (MS-03)
- Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-02)
- Rep. Jim Hagedorn (MN-01)
- Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01)
- Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04)
- Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01)
- Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03)
- Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10)
- Rep. Clay Higgins (LA-03)
- Rep. French Hill (AR-02)
- Rep. George Holding (NC-02)
- Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (IN-09)
- Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08)
- Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-02)
- Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA-50)
- Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04)
- Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-06)
- Rep. Dusty Johnson (SD-At-Large)
- Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)
- Rep. David Joyce (OH-14)
- Rep. John Joyce (PA-13)
- Rep. John Katko (NY-24)
- Rep. Fred Keller (PA-12)
- Rep. Trent Kelly (MA-01)
- Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16)
- Rep. Steve King (IA-4)
- Rep. Peter King (NY-03)
- Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)
- Rep. David Kustoff (TN-08)
- Rep. Darin LaHood (IL-18)
- Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01)
- Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05)
- Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05)
- Rep. Debbie Lesko (AZ-08)
- Rep. Billy Long (MO-07)
- Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11)
- Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03)
- Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09)
- Rep. Roger Marshall (KS-01)
- Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-04)
- Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18)
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA-23)
- Rep. Michael McCaul (TZ-10)
- Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-04)
- Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
- Rep. David McKinley (WV-01)
- Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11)
- Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09)
- Rep. Carol Miller (WV-03)
- Rep. Paul Mitchell (MI-10)
- Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-04)
- Rep. Alex Mooney (WV-02)
- Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-02)
- Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04)
- Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05)
- Rep. Devin Nunes (CA-22)
- Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22)
- Rep. Steven Palazzo (MS-04)
- Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06)
- Rep. Greg Pence (IN-06)
- Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10)
- Rep. Bill Posey (FL-08)
- Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-04)
- Rep. Tom Reed (NY-23)
- Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14)
- Rep. Tom Rice (SC-07)
- Rep. Denver Riggleman (VA-05)
- Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02)
- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05)
- Rep. Phil Roe (TN-01)
- Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03)
- Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-05)
- Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16)
- Rep. John Rose (TN-06)
- Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07)
- Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21)
- Rep. John Rutherford (FL-04)
- Rep. Steve Scalise (LA-01)
- Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06)
- Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08)
- Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05)
- Rep. John Shimkus (IL-15)
- Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02)
- Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08)
- Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-03)
- Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04)
- Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11)
- Rep. Ross Spano (FL-15)
- Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-08)
- Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
- Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01)
- Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17)
- Rep. Chris Stewart (UT-02)
- Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15)
- Rep. Scott Taylor (VA-02)
- Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-15)
- Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX-13)
- Rep. William Timmons (SC-04)
- Rep. Scott Tipton (CO-03)
- Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10)
- Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02)
- Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-07)
- Rep. Greg Walden (OR-02)
- Rep. Mark Walker (NC-06)
- Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02)
- Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06)
- Rep. Steve Watkins (KS-02)
- Rep. Randy Weber (TX-14)
- Rep. Daniel Webster (FL-11)
- Rep. Brad Wenstrup (OH-02)
- Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
- Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02)
- Rep. Rob Wittman (VA-01)
- Rep. Steve Womack (AR-03)
- Rep. Rob Woodall (GA-07)
- Rep. Ron Wright (TX-06)
- Rep. Ted Yoho (FL-03)
- Rep. Dong Young (AK-At-Large)
- Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY-01)