Republicans don’t have the votes to pass its Homeland Security Bill, which calls for full funding of the agency with the exception of funding for the president’s amnesty immigration bill, putting the party in a dilemma as funding for the agency runs out on Feb. 27.
A friend wrote to me last week concerned about the Homeland Security Bill and the dubious position ahead for Republicans, including a copy of a thoughtful letter he wrote to Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake in which he asks that they consider the advice offered in Karl Rove’s Feb. 18 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
Essentially, Rove allows that the preliminary injunction by federal district Judge Andrew Hansen stopping the implementation of the president’s immigration executive order, gives the GOP an opportunity to extract itself. It would give Republicans a chance to make their point on an issue where they agree the president overstepped his authority, while avoiding getting blamed for a shutdown.
Meanwhile, conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer writes, “Republicans find themselves on the sidelines bleating plaintively about violations of the separation of powers. But there is a way out for the GOP. Go bold. Go nuclear. Abolish the filibuster. Pass the bill and send it to the president.”
While reminding readers of how Sen. Harry Reid used the nuclear option to pack the DC Court of Appeals with liberals, Krauthammer also recalled his warning that Democrats would rue the day, adding that once you go nuclear so can the other guy.
Pass the bill, he says and let the president veto it, changing the story from Republicans won’t fund DHS to Obama vetoes funding for DHS, threatening to shut it down.Without the votes to pass the Homeland Security Bill, which calls for full funding of the agency with the exception of funding for the president’s amnesty immigration bill, it appears Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will introduce a clean DHS bill to avoid shutting the agency down.
Word is that McConnell will introduce a separate bill designed to solely stop funding the president’s executive action on immigration, a bill some Democrats have indicated they would support. Democrat Joe Manchin (D-WVA) says if McConnell passes a clean DHS bill he would support a separate bill to stop funding of the immigration bill.
Nice try, Joe. You’ve got the order wrong. Here’s my suggestion. It’s time that McConnell force Democrats to put up or shut up, and make them vote on stopping the immigration funding first, with the caveat that if they fail to come through in a bipartisan manner, he will introduce the original bill and invoke the so-called “Reid Rule,” the nuclear option, that requires just 51 votes to pass. It would take a little cooperation from Speaker Boehner, but it could be done.
“Republicans should stick to their position. They can’t let a president make law. Republicans have the high ground on this issue and should ride it out,” says an editorial in today’s Investor’s Business Daily.
President Obama and DHS Director Jeh Johnson would have us believe that a shutdown would be an invitation for the Islamic radicals to hit Times Square minutes after midnight on Friday. They’ve been playing politics with this all week. It’s time to take a stand and show them we can play that game.
