Congress Funds Homeland Security, But Only for A Week
A partial government shutdown was barely avoided Friday, as Obama signed the bill just before midnight.
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) “made a surprise move” to back legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for one week, The Hill reported late Friday.
The short-term measure passed the House in a 357-60 vote just after 10 p.m., “with 55 Republicans and 5 Democrats voting against it. The Senate passed the one-week funding bill in a voice vote.”
President Barack Obama signed the legislation just before the clock ran out.
The South Lawn at the White House.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
What follows is what members of Hawaii’s delegation had to say about the latest funding crisis in Washington.
Sen. Mazie Hirono:
“It’s good news for the nearly 2,000 Department of Homeland Security employees in Hawaii — working at TSA in our airports and for the U.S. Coast Guard in our harbors — that House Republicans finally decided to avert a DHS shutdown and fund the agency charged with protecting us — but just for one week. …”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard:
“Our national security should never be used as a pawn in partisan political games. Ensuring the Department of Homeland Security remains operational is critical. It is irresponsible to continue lurching between shutdown threats and crises. It is no way to govern, particularly when the safety and security of the American people is on the line.”
Rep. Mark Takai:
“The long-term goal has not changed, and both parties have reassurances that a full-year, clean DHS funding bill will be considered as the highest priority of legislative business early next week.”
Most D.C. observers said the DHS debacle was a disaster for Speaker John Boehner, who could not get a funding bill passed that included reversal of the president’s executive orders easing the immigration status of millions of people.
The idea that Congress would approve cutting of money to protect the homeland was ultimately untenable for most members.
Had DHS shut down, 75 to 80 percent of DHS employees “would be forced to work without pay, and an additional 30,000 would be furloughed,” says The Hill.
