department of homeland security Archives

New Poll – Americans Would Blame Republicans for DHS Shutdown – Video

And rightly so. Republican House Speaker John Boehner went on Fox News over the weekend and screamed down Fox host, Chris Wallace, telling him that the blame for any Department of Homeland Security shutdown would be placed on Senate Democrats. Boehner was quick to point out that the House of Representatives already passed a bill to keep DHS going past the February 28th deadline, but he failed to admit that the bill contained language specifically geared to shutting down President Obama’s immigration order.

Senate Democrats have said that they would not entertain any DHS funding bill that degrades the President’s immigration order, so we stand at a standstill with the February 28th deadline quickly approaching.

But who should be blamed if the deadline passes and Homeland Security funding stops?

A recent poll conducted by CNN puts that blame in the lap of Congressional Republicans.

Republicans in Congress would shoulder the blame for a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security if they are unable to enact a new spending bill to keep the agency running, according to a new CNN/ORC poll. The survey finds 53% of Americans would blame the Republicans in Congress if the department must shut down, while 30% would blame President Barack Obama. Another 13% say both deserve the blame.

If a spending bill is not passed by Feb. 28, the agency’s funding will run out.

A majority says a shutdown at DHS, even if it’s just for a few days, would be a crisis or a major problem. Republicans are less likely to see a shutdown as a big problem, 46% say so compared with 66% among Democrats. Among all adults, slightly fewer see a DHS shutdown as a problem or crisis than said so in November when asked about a possible shutdown of the whole government, 55% now vs. 59% in that poll.

As in November, this shutdown threat has more to do with immigration policy than with budgetary concerns.

House Republicans have been sparring with their Senate counterparts over whether a bill to continue the agency’s funding should also reverse Obama’s executive actions on immigration, which shielded millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. The House has already passed a bill to fund DHS which includes a provision to undo Obama’s actions, but Senate Democrats have blocked attempts to bring the bill to a vote and some Senate Republicans have spoken out against dealing with both issues in one bill.

Republican Logic – Repeal Immigration Reform or No Money for Homeland Security

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.