Author: Ezra Grant

Congressional Republicans are playing hardball with America’s security because they don’t want any immigration reform. And as far as they are concerned, the perfect way to hammer at immigration reform is to include repeal language in a funding bill for Homeland Security. Their stance is clear – if they can’t repeal the president’s immigration order, they will provide zero funds for America’s security.

Funding for Homeland Security runs out February 28th.

“There’s not a Plan B,” said Republican Senate Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), moments after the Senate vote, “because this is the plan.”

No plan B. The only plan these Republicans have is all politics – dismantle the all the immigration reforms put in place by President Obama, and do it by any means necessary. And after the reforms are dismantled, chalk up a win for the party regardless of the consequences to the nation.

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 Sen. 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 a shutdown of the agency, particularly in the immediate wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last month.