Boehner, GOP poised to gut Homeland Security funding

[n2doc]

As a result of a truly ridiculous budget scheme congressional Republicans cooked up for themselves, current funding for the Department of Homeland Security will be exhausted literally next week. John Harwood noted yesterday that avoiding a shutdown is a “rock-bottom, de minimis test of GOP governance.”

It is a test Republicans are poised to fail on purpose.

House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday he’s “certainly” willing to allow funding for the Department of Homeland Security to lapse in less than two weeks.

The Ohio Republican called on Senate Democrats to act on funding legislation the House passed earlier this year, indicating that his chamber won’t produce an alternative measure.

The beleaguered Speaker’s feeble talking point is, “The House has acted. We’ve done our job.” Boehner surely knows his argument is absurd – the lower chamber passed a right-wing bill that House Republicans knew couldn’t pass the Senate and couldn’t earn President Obama’s signature. In other words, the GOP majority “acted” by passing a bill that everyone knew was doomed to fail.

Boehner went on to say the Republican-led House and Republican-led Senate can’t fund Homeland Security because of Democrats “are the ones putting us in this precarious position,” which really is as pitiful as it sounds.

more

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/boehner-gop-poised-gut-homeland-security-funding

[Arcadiasix]

1. The house has the power of the purse.

Like it or lump it they do.

[Darb]

46. I think you have a feeble understanding of the "power of the purse" argument

Spending bills must START in the house. The house does not control the outcome. If they pass something so draconian that it cannot pass the Senate or get a president's signature, then THE HOUSE must start again. Not this "we did our job" horseshit. No, they didn't do their job, they wasted the taxpayers money passing asshat, teabag legislation that cannot ever become law.

Back to the House it goes, they must try again.

IT IS THEIR FUCKING FAULT!!

[Arcadiasix]

54. Yes they do

If the House passes a bill to fund X and the Senate amends it to fund X and Y. The House is not obligated to take the bill up again. The House can say take it of leave it.

[TomCADem]

56. Same Could Be Said Of A Veto

President could submit a budget, refuse to negotiate, and veto anything that comes down the chute and force Congress to overcome his veto by a 2/3 majority. Take it or leave it. Nice to say, but lousy way to govern.

[randr]

2. Gutting the DHS budjet would be a good start

The largest bureaucracy ever created, in a mere few months, is the albatross America wears for the inept response to 9/11.
The whole argument we are witnessing is but a red herring designed to make us think we need the DHS.

[KittyWampus]

19. gutting it now, without reorganizing first, would hurt federal workers, air travelers

and many, many other "regular" citizens.

Maybe stop and think before you post silly things like that.

We may not need DHS, but we need the various agencies that were placed within it's auspices.

[WhiteTara]

3. Since SS in now in Homeland, they are probably going to try

to end the President's security detail.

[madville]

12. SS personnel would be deemed essential

And would still be required to come to work even though their paychecks may be delayed. Other essential personnel would be LE officers in Border Patrol, ICE, all the military members of the USCG, FEMA personnel, TSA, etc.

It's kind of a faux shutdown because most people will still be working and most tasks will still be getting done.

[titaniumsalute]

21. The ATF is also Dept of Homeland Security

[madville]

23. They are DOJ

Department of Justice

[titaniumsalute]

24. OOPs your right

My mistake

[WhiteTara]

39. Thanks. The ones screwed will e the ones

doing the work. Of course.

[madville]

41. It depends how long it goes on for

For instance, if the shutdown is 10 days they won't notice any interruption in their pay. It would have to go on for 2-3 weeks for the pay cycle to catch up.

[tblue37]

52. The Republicans lost a lot of Virginia voters after that last shutdown, because Virginia is

where a LOT of federal workers live. Those who were either furloughed or who had to continue working without receiving their paychecks until much later were properly PO's about the shutdown, so many who were inclined to vote R found themselves leaning in the opposite direction.

[Blue Owl]

35. Uncanny how this sounds like Nazi talk

n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. In eons past Progressives saw neither value nor virtue in the DHS. I wonder what changed? nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. Sure.

Considering several legitimate organizations were rolled in to the DHS apparatus, shutting it down by pulling the funding plug would be unbelievably irresponsible. Most adults can grasp that concept.

[Cali_Democrat]

26. In eons past Republicans would never even contemplate shutting down DHS. I wonder what changed?

Just 10 years ago Republicans would scream about the terrorist threat and how DHS was vital to national security.

So what changed?

Oh...there's a black guy in the White House now.

------

But seriously, thanks for shutting down that lame right wing troll attempt.

[KittyWampus]

20. It isn't DHS, it's the agencies and WORKERS within it.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

44. Which workers? The ones tapping our phones or the ones reading our email?

[Trillo]

53. Are you confusing NSA with DHS?

Don't forget FEMA.

[liberal N proud]

5. Wasn't the Homeland thing a republican concoction in the first place?

Didn't it get invented following 9/11? If I recall Heck of A Job Brownie was the first Homeland leader. (I could be mistaken).

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. Tom Ridge.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. I thought that Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) was a big proponent of it (architect?)

George W. Bush and the Republicans were initially against it (I think, pre-9/11) but then were for it- but only after gutting union provisions favored by Democrats, which they used to beat the Democrats, especially Cleland, with over the head during the run-up to the 2002 midterm elections because many Democrats voted against it without the union provisions.

[MineralMan]

6. A lot of things have been folded into homeland security.

Defunding it would create some serious problems in areas that have nothing to do with what most of us think the DHS is about. See below to find out about some functions that have been put under the DHS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_security

In the United States, the concept of "Homeland Security" extends and recombines responsibilities of government agencies and entities. According to Homeland security research, the U.S. federal Homeland Security and Homeland Defense includes 187 federal agencies and departments,[2] including the United States National Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the United States Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, the 14 agencies that constitute the U.S. intelligence community and Civil Air Patrol. Although many businesses now operate in the area of homeland security, it is overwhelmingly a government function.[

[onecaliberal]

9. How republican voters can swallow the absolute

Baloney spewing from the mouths of their reps about protecting the country defies logic.
This pathetic maneuver is a perfect demonstration that republicans will go to any length to keep brown people out of America.
The President & his family are not safe.

[n2doc]

11. You are talking about a base that believes Obama is a sleeper communist born in Kenya

They'll believe anything their masters tell them.

[onecaliberal]

13. I guess it is difficult for me to fathom the

breathtaking ignorance and stupidity it would take to vote republican.

[CJCRANE]

10. This isn't going to end well.

Get ready for another "no one could have imagined..." moment.

[madville]

18. Most of DHS is deemed "essential"

Most employees will still be at work doing their jobs. It's not like the power gets shut off and they board up the front doors. If it goes longer than two weeks paychecks will be delayed, that's about it. The "non-essential" personnel, like 5-10% of the workforce get sent home and usually paid after the funding is eventually approved so it's a paid vacation.

[KittyWampus]

22. and a huge chunk of employees aren't "essential". And both WILL NOT GET PAID.

Maybe you like to wonder how you are going to pay your bills?

It's not like utilities and landlords and banks take vouchers.

[madville]

25. Who didn't get paid in the last shutdown?

About 12% are deemed non-essential. They actually get the best deal because they aren't allowed to work and then when funding is approved they have always gotten paid for that time off so it's basically a paid vacation.

[KittyWampus]

30. #1. They will not be getting a paycheck during shut down. #2. FEMA will lose 85% of its workers.

#3. Funding that goes to secure sites considered vulnerable security risks will be gone

You don't know what you are talking about.

[madville]

33. Still won't answer the question

Who didn't get paid during the last shutdown?

[KittyWampus]

36. Neither the essential nor the essential got paid during the shut down AFAIK.

[madville]

40. Pay was not even interrupted during the last shutdown in 2013

The federal pay cycle runs about 2-3 weeks behind the pay period. For instance, if DHS shuts down 27FEB, that paycheck for the two week period that falls in doesn't come around until 19 March, it would have to be shutdown for several weeks before pay is affected.

I was non-essential during the last one, I sat at home a week and then got paid for that time on my regular pay date. The 2013 shutdown didn't affect pay at all.

[Fred Sanders]

15. The GOP Congress quickly passes the Koch pipeline but can not agree to fund national security?

An honest traditional media would have noticed the stark contrast in priorities...Does the GOP WANT a foreign-based terrorist attack on America?

Fox obviously does. The media tail is wagging the GOP brain.

[n2doc]

16. To be brutally honest, the only reason the Koch-pipe passed is that Democrats helped

Here are the nine Senate Democrats who voted for Keystone:

1. Michael Bennet, Colo.

2. Thomas Carper, Del.

3. Robert Casey, Pa.

4. Joe Donnelly, Ind.

5. Heidi Heitkamp, N.D.

6. Joe Manchin, W. Va.

7. Claire McCaskill, Mo.

8. Jon Tester, Mont.

9. Mark Warner, Va.


If those same Senators voted for the Repub homeland security bill, it would also 'pass'. Fortunately, they seem disinclined.

[Fred Sanders]

17. Mixing oil with politics puts some oily Democrats in sort of a geo-political handcuff.

It is a problem more because the Democratic hypocrisy gets noticed and reported on by the media even as they ignore the rampant GOP hypocrisy.

[madville]

27. The government is shutdown today, for the third day in a row, and the world is not ending

just kidding of course

[Agnosticsherbet]

28. Republicans, taking the livlihoods from 388,000 people for fun, profit, and politics.

[onecaliberal]

34. ^^^^ That

For their hate politics.

[yeoman6987]

29. Didn't Bush make this department?

Maybe we should get rid of everything Bush. Are we really sticking up for that American mistake?

[Cali_Democrat]

31. Who do you think you're trying to fool?

See post #6 and #8

[yeoman6987]

32. So you want me to read every reply before i get my say?

Not a chance and why are you sticking up for Bush?

[KittyWampus]

37. You are the one 'sticking up' for the Republican assholes in Congress. Bush has nothing to do with

the many agencies folded under the DHS.

[yeoman6987]

43. BS! You are slamming Nancy now. What is this about?

[Cali_Democrat]

38. "and why are you sticking up for Bush?"

OMG...you're right!

Thanks for setting me straight...you progressive fighter!

[yeoman6987]

42. The truth hurts...you'll survive I am sure.

[samsingh]

45. 911 happened on the gop watch so they obviously don't understand security

[jwirr]

47. If they do the next 50+ disasters will be blamed on them.

[Thor_MN]

48. Bonehead, if you are so certain of everything, split the DHS funding from the tack ons.

Surely they will both pass individually with no problems, right?

If you have to sneak shit into other legislation, it doesn't pass muster.

[n2doc]

49. Ah, but the rest of the world must bend to the Boehner!

After all, 2014!!!

[Thor_MN]

50. Bending the Boehner can lead to a fracture...

No Cowgirl for the GOP...

[Rex]

51. What a stupid idea to put all those essential agencies into one Big Brother agency.

The DHS is a fascists wet dream...just a waste of money, put the agencies back they way they were before 9/11. Not like we are any safer now, just now we waste billions more on a department created to fight a boogyman created by the PNAC crowd.

[hopemountain]

55. they want to gut it so they can create

and dictate a more hideous & invasive homeland security mutant.