(Washington, D.C.) – On Thursday night, Republicans won a vote to prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving federally funded welfare payments, only to have victory snatched away when Democrats changed the final vote.

The amendment to the Agriculture spending bill, which would have prohibited illegal immigrants from receiving federally funded benefits, was originally passed by a vote of 215 to 213. Incredibly, after the vote officially ended the Democrats overturned this result—defying 218 years of precedent—and reopened the vote. The motion was then defeated by a vote of 212 to 216.

In response to this blatant violation of House rules, Congressman McCaul and other fellow Republican colleagues left the floor in protest.

"This was not only a procedural debacle but it goes to show that the Majority party will do whatever is necessary to further their political agenda. In order to appease their special interests, they changed the House votes to give illegal immigrants benefits at the taxpayer’s expense," stated Congressman Michael McCaul.

The agriculture spending bill is now awaiting action in the Senate.