Republicans Grapple With Internal Rifts in Homeland Security Impasse

WASHINGTON — Republicans on Wednesday publicly struggled to resolve tensions within their party as House and Senate leaders searched for a way to avert a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which is set to run out of money on Friday.

The effort to keep the department running has emerged as a proxy fight over President Obama’s immigration policies — as well as the first major test for congressional Republicans over whether they can actually govern, now that they control both chambers.

But it has also become a test of how House and Senate Republicans can reconcile their own considerable differences on major policy fights.

Republicans have long blamed Democrats for the impasse, pointing out that Senate Democrats have four times filibustered an effort to even open debate on a funding bill. But with time ticking down until a partial shutdown, some Republican lawmakers also signaled that it was time to accept a compromise.

“We can’t allow D.H.S. not be funded,” said Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York. “People think we’re crazy. There’re terrorist attacks all over the world, and we’re talking about closing down Homeland Security. This is like living in the world of the crazy people.”

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The New York Times