DHS battle will continue for another week after House extension
The House of Representatives brought the nation to the brink of a government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security as the battle over funding President Obama’s amnesty executive order divides the GOP and divides Congress.
Congress passed a one-week bill late Friday night to avert a partial shutdown as leaders in both political parties with a vote of 357-60.
“You have made a mess,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said at one point to Republicans.
“There are terrorist attacks all over world and we’re talking about closing down Homeland Security. This is like living in world of crazy people,” tweeted Rep. Peter King of New York, a former chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
Harsh language from anti-war liberals who support the immigration move with a legislative vote.
“A short-term Continuing Resolution would have allowed us to avoid a Democrat-led DHS shutdown and fight the President’s overreaches on the firmest ground possible,” said Rep. Diane Black from Tennessee.
“I’m not happy with the body of which I am a member, but the only way we’re going to do things is compromising, and on something like this, there’s not much room: either we fund DHS or we don’t,” Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (TX) told The Daily Beast.
The blame goes to the people who didn’t understand that homeland security was more important than ideology, or dislike of the policies of the president,” Cleaver said.
“It does not make any difference whether the funding is for three weeks, three months or a full fiscal year. If it’s illegal, it’s illegal,” said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala.
He referred to a pair of immigration directives issued by Obama. The first, in 2012, lifted the threat of deportation from many immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and the other order last fall applied to millions more who are in the United States unlawfully.