U.S. Senate Approves Homeland Security Dept. Funds
The U.S. Senate Friday approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security hours before a midnight deadline, but remaining congressional hurdles pushed the agency responsible for domestic security to the brink of shutdown.
Even as the Senate voted 68 to 31 to pass a "clean" bill to fund DHS through the end of fiscal year 2015 on September 30, many House Republicans have refused to support a measure that has been stripped of amendments aimed at repealing President Barack Obama's immigration executive orders.
With the clock ticking, the House was debating passing a three-week stopgap measure that would keep DHS funded at current levels until March 19.
That would see money flow to pay for border security, Secret Service protection for the president, and airport screening, among many other programs, while allowing Republicans to continue pressing their case against Obama's plan to provide deportation relief to millions of undocumented workers.
A measure linking the immigration plan freeze with the funding of critical national security programs passed the House last month, but Senate Democrats united in opposition and blocked it, demanding that the two issues be split.
Senate Republicans conceded, with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cutting the immigration language from the DHS spending measure.
If the House passes a temporary funding bill instead of the Senate's full-year effort, the Senate would have to give final approval and the president sign it before midnight to avoid a partial DHS shutdown.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid was talking tough before the Senate vote, in an effort to bring House Speaker John Boehner on board to pass the full funding measure.
"The House must pass the Senate bill," Reid insisted.
"We will not go to conference. We will not pass any rider-laden monstrosity the House sends back to us."
Source: Agence France Presse
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