One conservative congressman thinks lawmakers should take action on sanctuary cities.

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., believes lawmakers have a unique tool to use on the issue of sanctuary cities. “What we can do is use the power of the purse to hold this administration accountable, hold these cities accountable,” he told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview.

“Frankly, these are generally Democrat cities,” Huelskamp added. “They get tons of money from Washington and that should be a requirement; that if you want federal money, you probably should follow our federal laws dealing with border control and immigration.”

In the interview, Huelskamp also talked about his clash with GOP leadership. After the removal of conservatives from House positions and committees following certain votes, some in Washington are asking whether or not conservatives in Congress trust House Speaker John Boehner. “We still hear of acts of retribution that have been going on, I have personally been facing that for two and a half years but the difference is now, conservatives are much more organized through the House Freedom Caucus,” Huelskamp commented.

“I think it’s the old Reagan adage, ‘trust but verify.’ There has been ongoing retribution against those who have voted their constituents and voted their principles and there’s a lot of fear amongst folks in both conservative and otherwise,” Huelskamp continued.

“I told the speaker I don’t work for him,” he added. “There’s this ever growing divide  between Washington, D.C., and the rest of America … it is frustrating when Republicans who claim to be the party [of] conservatives attack conservative principles.”

Huelskamp had harsh words for the Supreme Court, which legalized same-sex marriage in every state in a June decision. “I think this court, for example, spends more time worrying about what Western Europeans think than they do about western Kansas where I come from,” Huelskamp commented.

In an interview with The Daily Signal Huleskamp spoke about a number of issues:

  • 00:32 Do House conservatives trust Speaker Boehner?
  • 2:19 After the recent Supreme Court rulings, what are the priorities for Congress?
  • 5:08 If the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank  is attached to the Highway Trust Fund legislation what should conservatives do?
  • 7:20 What can Congress do about “sanctuary cities”?