House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) plans to bring up a bill next week to fund the Department of Homeland Security, and embedded in the text will probably be language to limit funding for carrying out Obama’s executive action, which changed the enforcement of immigration laws.
No final decisions have been made, and it’s not clear what language the GOP leadership will use. But Rules Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said Wednesday that House Republicans are poised to use a measure written by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) that would explicitly bar any funds — even those collected by fees — to be used to carry out Obama’s immigration actions.
Funding for DHS runs through Feb. 27. That Boehner (R-Ohio) and McCarthy are acting this early shows that they want time before the deadline to bring the bill up. Obama, of course, is nearly certain to veto any bill that limits his authority. Republicans are extraordinarily unlikely to let DHS funding lapse at the end of February.
“If the president were to shut down Homeland Security to get his narrow political objectives done, then I think the president’s making a big mistake,” Sessions said. He waved off a potential veto threat, stressing: “We are going to stick to our plan, and we believe it is wrong what the president has done.”
Republicans are also moving toward inserting language in the DHS bill to beef up border security. House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said Wednesday morning that he hopes to release text of the DHS funding bill on Friday.