WASHINGTON — The Senate approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security on Friday morning, less than 24 hours before a shutdown.
But the shutdown has not been averted quite yet. At the same time as the Senate approved its bill, House Republicans proceeded with a bill that would fund DHS for three weeks, so they can continue to push the Senate to cooperate with their efforts to gut President Barack Obama’s immigration policies as part of a longer-term bill for the department. The Senate bill, which passed 68 to 31, does not have measures related to immigration.
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Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of the most vocal critics of immigration reform, blamed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for giving up the GOP’s leverage by offering to fund DHS with no strings attached.
“I would have liked to see Mitch McConnell fight a lot harder,” King said. “He tipped over his king in a surprise move. He didn’t make any moves for a long time, he waited until they looked at the calendar and strategically decided to jam the House.”
