WASHINGTON — House Republicans inched closer to embracing a stopgap measure to prevent a Department of Homeland Security shutdown on Thursday, a day before the agency runs out of money.
GOP leaders huddled with their conference behind closed doors to gauge support for a three-week continuing resolution that would keep DHS running, a day after the Senate intensified pressure on the lower chamber by preparing to vote on a “clean” DHS funding bill.
House members leaving the meeting expressed disappointment in Senate Republicans, who on Wednesday reached a deal with Democrats to advance a measure that would fund DHS absent any riders aimed at blocking President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Frustration was especially palpable among House conservatives, who refused to throw in the towel on using the power of the purse to curb Obama actions that would provide deportation relief and work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants.
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Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) told reporters his message to his colleagues during the meeting was that “bad tactics yield bad outcomes.”
“I think at this point we’ve engaged in an exercise of tactical malpractice, self-delusion and self-destruction,” Dent said. “Some folks have a harder time to face the political reality than others. Some people want to be able to save face and get something from the Senate … and I said we’re not going to get anything.”
