GOP on reversing Obama's immigration executive action: 'There is no plan B'

The Hill ^ | 02/04/2015 | Mike Lillis

[SeekAndFind]

House conservatives are doubling down in their efforts to undo President Obama's lenient new deportation policies as part of a bill funding the Homeland Security Department.

The Republicans, including Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), are vowing to hold the line on tying funding for the Homeland Security Department to language reversing Obama’s executive actions on immigration — even after Senate Democrats blocked their bill from being considered in the upper chamber.

“There’s not a Plan B, because this is the plan," Scalise said minutes after the Senate vote, according to Fox News's Chad Pergram. Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) echoed that message, saying “many of us agree that we should stand behind the one bill that we sent over there.”

“Most of us feel that way,” he said just before the Senate vote. “Anything less than that, we're not going to get any better result anyway. So why not just go for what's really right?”

Tuesday's Senate vote was 51-48 to end debate on the House-passed Homeland Security bill — far shy of the 60 supporters GOP leaders needed to move to a vote on final passage.

Every Senate Democrat voted against proceeding to the package, as did Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

It’s unclear how GOP leaders intend to proceed. Republican leaders in both chambers are under pressure to stand firm in opposition to Obama’s actions.

DHS funding is set to expire on Feb. 28, and Republicans are also wary of the political blowback if they're seen as threatening shutdown of the agency, particularly in the immediate wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last month.

Democrats, who are calling for a clean bill to fund the Homeland Security Department, have used every opportunity to hammer the Republicans for risking the nation's security to score political points with their conservative base.

[Patton@Bastogne]

[CAluvdubya]

If McConnell had any guts, he’d bring it back up as a reconciliation bill, and pass it with 51 votes and then send it to Obummer for a veto. And after Obummer vetoed it, if McConnell had any guts, McConnell would grab every microphone he could get and beat Obummer about the head and shoulders for shutting “Homeland Security” down just because Obummer didn’t get his illegal executive amnesty funded. And, if McConnell had any guts, he would tell Obummer that the Senate would continue to pass the same reconciliation bill every day and send it over and scream “Obummer’s shutting down “Homeland Security”” every time Obummer vetoes the bill.

I think that sounds like an excellent plan. I wish we had a strong Cruz type leader. I could see him doing this easily.