REPUBLICANS THREATEN SHUT DOWN OF HOMELAND SECURITY OVER IMMIGRATION FIGHT

East County News Service

February 15, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Conservatives in Congress are threatening to let the Department of Homeland Security shut down on February 27^th, refusing to fund a measure authorizing funding of Homeland Security unless they can secure approval of language to repeal President Obama’s executive orders on immigration. The agency was formed to protect national security after the 9/11 terrorism attacks in 2001.

The President’s orders halted deportation proceedings for millions of undocumented immigrants who are not felons and who have close family members who are citizens or legal residents, seeking to keep families together.

The House passed a measure that would repeal those reforms, but it has been blocked in the Senate and the President has said he would veto if it passed. 

If Republicans force a shutdown of Homeland Security, many workers would still remain on the job, but without pay, such as Border Patrol agents and Transportation Security Administration employees.  But in an era of mounting terrorism concerns, critics contend that any lapse in national security could have serious consequences. 

Staunch conservatives, however, contend that standing on their principles is worth the risk.

Speaker John Boehner says he is ready to let funding for Homeland Security lapse, he told Fox News on Sunday. Boehner blames Senate Democrats, adding, “We’ve done our job.”

Not all Republicans agree. Arizona Senator John McCain voiced alarm over the situation on  “Meet the Press.”  He insists, “You cannot cut funding from the Department of Homeland Security. We need to sit down and work this thing out."

Democratic leaders have blasted the GOP  majority’s stance.  Democrat Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader, said in a press briefing last week, “House Republicans refuse to admit the dangerous collapse of their anti-immigrant grandstand. Republicans should stop holding our homeland security hostage and bring forward a clean, long-term funding bill immediately.”

Just how voters may respond at the ballot box to Republicans holding Homeland Security funding hostage over immigration issues remains to be seen.