Breaking: Democrats Filibuster Homeland Security Funding Bill Over Obama Immigration Orders
The body has until midnight Friday to fund the department.
James Beattie — February 23, 2015
For the fourth time, Senate Democrats blocked a measure that would fund the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and reverse President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
On Monday, the Senate voted 47 to 46 to bring the House-passed bill up for debate, The Hill reported. The tally was short of the 60 votes needed.
The body has until midnight Friday to fund the department, or 75 to 80 percent of the department’s employees will be forced to work without pay–and another 30,000 will be furloughed until a deal can be brokered.
“It’s time to allow this Homeland Security funding legislation to come to the floor,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., proclaimed ahead of the vote, reported CNN.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson outlined his position in an email to DHS employees Monday morning. “Democrats say they want to amend DHS funding legislation. But then they keep voting to block their own amendments. It just doesn’t make any sense,” Johnson said.
I remain optimistic that Congress will fully fund our Department before the deadline through a clean bill. But, we must be prudent. We must plan and prepare in the unlikely and unfortunate event that Congress does not fund DHS before Friday night and a shutdown of this Department occurs.
A “clean” bill refers to one that includes President Obama’s executive actions. “To those in Congress who may be contemplating punting, or kicking the can a few weeks down the road, I must remind you that the consequences to this department if we remain on a continuing resolution are also severe,” Johnson said during a press conference Monday at DHS headquarters in Washington.
The Hill noted that Senate Republicans are considering some immigration riders apart from the DHS funding bill, though it’s uncertain if conservatives would support such a deal.
“It’s up to the Senate to determine what they send back to the House and we’ll probably see something come back from the Senate this week and then we have to make some tough choices,” said House Homeland Committee Chairman Michael McCaul Monday on CNN’s This Hour.
Read more at
http://www.westernjournalism.com/breaking-democrats-filibuster-homeland-security-funding-bill-obama-immigration-orders/#YAC4sRil043CQt1W.99
