McCain Says GOP Cannot Shut Down DHS: 'It's Too Serious'

[DonViejo]

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Sunday said that Republicans cannot shut down the Department of Homeland Security over President Barack Obama's executive actions.

The House in January passed a bill that would fund the department and overturn Obama's actions deferring the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants. If the Senate does not pass the House by Feb. 27, the Department of Homeland Security will shutdown, and the Senate may not act in time to keep the department open.

On NBC's "Meet the Press," host Chuck Todd asked McCain if the House Republicans' approach was appropriate.

"I think it would be terrible. The American people didn’t give us a majority to have a fight between House and Senate Republicans. They want things done. We cannot cut funding from the Department of Homeland Security," McCain said. "And there’s ways we can address what the President did was unconstitutional. But it’s not through shutting down the Department of Homeland Security. It’s too serious."

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mccain-opposes-dhs-shutdown

[Journeyman]

1. "The American people didn’t give us a majority to have a fight between House & Senate Republicans."…

And yet, that's what we have.

Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.

Only now, the people will see it for what it's always been.

[Cha]

2. Keep it up cons VS teabaggers.

[Rex]

3. Hey grampa shithead, nobody wanted the fucking DHS just you authoritarian assholes.

Poor McCain, always deluded into thinking he has a finger on the pulse of the nation. Poor deluded fool.

[onenote]

5. Nobody wanted DHS?

You have something to back that up?

[Rex]

10. Nobody but the PNAC crowd.

I guess you slept through those years.

[onenote]

11. I guess you have nothing to back up your assertion

[Rex]

16. Can you counter it with any evidence? I didn't think so.

Like I said, the PNAC crowd wanted it and the ability to bet on war...I guess you just are clueless about these things. Not my fault.

[imthevicar]

29. They can't allow the DHS to shut down!

because Americans Might discover that it does NOTHING!

[Android3.14]

20. It's probably a waste of time, but...

I've seen arguments like this in the past, and my expectation is that you will be unable to see past whatever agenda you are defending. However, the connection between PNAC and the aftermath of 9/11 are obvious, and many of us remember it, despite the clean-up crews coming in afterwards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century#.22New_Pearl_Harbor.22

[Man from Pickens]

25. I'm with Rex

DHS is part of the global-fascist PNAC plan. Just the term "homeland" itself is foreign to the American experience. We don't use that word, and have never used it. And the "security" part is, of course a sham as well, given that you are much much more likely to suffer at the hands of a militarized cop than any foreign threat.

I guess if they called it the Ministry of Internal Security it would have given up too much of the plot in advance, but it's now 2015 and there's no excuse to still have a positive view of that department.

[Android3.14]

19. Not everyone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century#.22New_Pearl_Harbor.22

[A Simple Game]

23. Wasn't a lot of need for it before 2001 was there?

Don't mistake the Department of Homeland Security for the individual departments under it, many of which could go away along with the DHS.

Several of the individual departments are necessary and should remain, but the all encompassing DHS? No need for it except maybe for a clearing house for information.

[MADem]

33. No--he is making a fair point. As I recall, the original idea was an office in the White House--an

advisory capacity, a "coordinator" of sorts. Next thing you know, the "small government" GOP were creating an entire new frigging "department" and entering the word "HOMELAND" (UGH) into the national lexicon.


http://www.dhs.gov/creation-department-homeland-security

Department Creation

Eleven days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security in the White House. The office oversaw and coordinated a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard the country against terrorism and respond to any future attacks.

With the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts, opening its doors on March 1, 2003.

[KansDem]

17. Homeland security

"Homeland security?" If that doesn't sound "third worldish..." (Unless it's referring to the rise of the Third Reich).

[procon]

4. As long as Republicans keep electing fringe candidates

the inevitable clash between Tea Partyers, Libertarians, and establishment R's is a foregone conclusion. The fact the McCain is so delusional that he either can't grasp that situation, or chooses to ignore it, underscores the divisive, internal problems facing the GOP. I don't see any likelihood that they are capable of resolving their differences before their self-inflicted suicide wins them another "also ran" in 2016.

[summerschild]

6. ATTENTION AMERICAN PUBLIC:

REPUBLICANS CANNOT GOVERN!

[spanone]

7. translates to 'it's not politically expedient'. hey john, too serious 'Presidency/sarah palin' ?

dim wit

[freshwest]

8. What, John? Did they put in a rider to bomb Iran for you?

85% of DHS's budget goes to fund FEMA. Don't you want that privatized like your buddy Rand does, so only the rich get help and the rest are left to rot?

Do you also support Ryan's 'Kings don't pay taxes' bill? Why are you still running your mouth?

[onenote]

9. Where did you come up with "85% of DHS's Budget goes to fund FEMA"?

The 2015 Budget request for FEMA is $10.38 billion out of a total DHS budget request of $38.2 billion. I don't need a calculator to know that 10.38 isn't 85 percent of 38.2.

[treestar]

12. Watch out for the zombie Obama!

It has no brain!!!!

[CanonRay]

13. Kind of blows a hole in Boehner's theory that it's all the Democrats fault

[Thav]

14. But they'll still play it that it's all the Democrat's fault

After all, personal responsibility is for other people.

[Orsino]

15. I assume he means that the DHS is serious. n/t

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. The gop needs to focus on eliminating the name Homeland from the Department of Security,

rather than shutting down the whole department. Are they wanting another attack on our soil so they can start WW3?

[lark]

21. They want Iran to be WW3

That's why they're bringing in little murderer, aka Netanyahoo.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

27. "They want Iran to be WW3"

CNN wants to be there to film the mushroom clouds.

[merrily]

22. Of course it's too series! Duh!!!!111!!!

And, as we all know, our government officials in D.C. are very series people, most especially when it comes to the eternal WOT and most especially warrior McCain.

[Third_stone]

24. Terrorism and the Homeboys

We got along fine without the department of homeboys security for many years. Then, driven by terror, congress contrived to shuffle desks and create a new department using a name taken from Nazis and adding no new capacity to government, just an extra layer of bureaucrats on top of the people trying to do the work. I see no value in it whatsoever, take deep offense at the Nazi name the Bush family used, and see no loss in getting rid of it. Dumping the extra bureaucrats would be no loss to me, and if there is money left, use it toward funding food stamps or repairing roads, something useful to the people.

[GP6971]

28. You're joking right?

So disband "homeboys".......who then would supply security at our airports? We did just a fine job on September 11th.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

26. That tears it....

Let it die.

[egold2604]

30. So if DHS gets unfunded does air travel stop because TSA is part of DHS

[Turbineguy]

31. McCain.....

The most sensible man in the republican party.

(next sentence deleted).

[maddiemom]

32. The "American people" did NOT give them a majority.

Gerrymandering and two senators per state, regardless of population, gave them a "majority."